Crimson Butterfly
by Xanette
Summary: Life in Konohagakure is peaceful and quiet after many years of war. Young Chouko is steadily becoming stronger under her uncle's guidance, but when he has to leave on a mission, everything around her begins to fall apart. ItachiOC
1. Meeting the Uchiha Family

**Disclaimers**: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. OC's and non-canon plot belong to me, Xanette.

**Warnings**: Slight gore, violence, and language.

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**Crimson Butterfly**

**Chapter 1**

"Chouko-chan, this is Fugaku-sama; his family will be taking care of you while I am away on a mission."

I looked up at the tall man with dark hair, and then proceeded to bow. He nodded at me, and dismissed me just as fast as he turned his attention to my uncle. I took the opportunity to take in my surroundings while his attention was diverted. His home was simple and quaint. I expected that the head of the Uchiha clan would live more extravagantly, but apparently I was wrong.

I felt my uncle's gaze on me, and I looked up at him. He gave me a kind smile. "Be good. I'll be back." He made a hand signal and disappeared in a cloud of smoke; I turned my attention to Uchiha Fugaku. He spoke to me sternly.

"You will be staying in the room on the far left side of the house. The only others here are my wife Mikato and my two sons, Sasuke and Itachi. Itachi is out on a mission right now, but you will see Sasuke around." He said, and I nodded.

"Your uncle tells me you will be a Jounin soon?" I nodded again. It couldn't be helped. I didn't feel like I was ready to advance in rank but…

"I'm sure you will make an excellent shinobi," he said. I held his gaze as I tried to sort my thoughts. He seemed very cold, but when he said that, his voice was so gentle.

"Thank you, Fugaku-sama," I replied with a bow. He nodded and said "make yourself at home, I'm sure your uncle will return in a few days," as he walked away.

I made my way through the long hallways that I'd memorized when I arrived back towards my room. I slid the door to the side and stepped inside of it, dropping my bag on the floor. It took me a second to confirm, but I was fairly certain this wasn't a guest room. I settled myself on the bed and sighed, closing my eyes. The birds chirped outside noisily and I was beginning to feel drowsy.

I sat up and began removing the bandages around my arms. I let the bandages fall on the floor and looked down at my forearm, which was covered in scars and wounds that had yet to heal. The damage of my unfinished jutsu. I sighed again and began wrapping them with new bandages. I knew I would get one of those horrible headaches again later, because of my using so much chakra trying to complete that jutsu. I was hoping to avoid it if I went to sleep early.

"Chouko-chan, will you be joining us for dinner?" Mikoto, Fugaku's wife, asked me from outside the closed door.

"I'm sorry, but I will have to decline your invitation. I am really tired, so I think I will go to bed, Mikoto-sama."

"That's quite alright, dear. Please rest well."

"Thank you, Mikoto-sama."

I disposed of the used bandages and frowned as my head started pulsing with pain. I cradled it with my hands and moaned, lying down slowly on the bed. A good night's sleep would help me. I just needed rest.

I wasn't sure how long I slept, but I was risen from my slumber when I heard the croak of the wooden floor outside the room I was in. I quickly sat up; the sheathed kunai of my assailant was stopped from coming any closer with the small katana I'd hidden under my pillow.

"Who are you?" the person and I asked simultaneously. I pushed him away with my katana. My head throbbed and pounded loudly. I clutched it with my hand, still staring at the blurry image of my attacker. Why couldn't I see right?

"Itachi? Is that you?" I heard a man's voice come from down the hall. Itachi? That name sounded familiar. The door to the room slid open and Fugaku appeared, carrying a candle. I blinked a few times and my vision finally cleared.

"Itachi! Why are you attacking our guest?" Fugaku spoke loudly, which made me wince. My head still throbbed. I finally got a good look at my attacker. He was a boy around my age, with dark hair and eyes. His skin was pale and he had bags under his eyes, which made him look like he hadn't slept for days. His eyes were tired and held some confusion. I'm sure mine probably looked the same.

"Guest?"

"Yes, Chouko is Aito-san's niece."

Itachi turned his eyes to me and I saw some comprehension dawn on them. He got on his knees and bowed deeply. "Forgive me, Chouko-san." I blushed deeply and shook my head, which was a bad idea.

"It's not a problem, Itachi-san. I'm sorry for taking your room," I said. I began to get up, but collapsed on my knees and I winced loudly when the pounding pain in my head was close to unbearable. "Chouko-san! Are you alright?" I heard Fugaku ask me.

"I'm sorry…I just don't feel very well."

"Itachi, sleep in Sasuke's room tonight. Chouko-san needs to rest." I felt a pair of arms lift me gently off the ground and place me back on the bed, which I gratefully sank into. "Sorry," I mumbled into the pillow. It was too exhausting and painful to stay awake any longer.

The next morning, I gasped as I recalled what had happened that night. I sat up slowly, and smiled when I realized my headache was gone. I pulled a red shirt on and some black pants on and headed into the kitchen, where I heard Mikoto shuffle around.

"Will you train today with your brother, Sasuke? I could make you both some lunch."

"I thought maybe I would…" he trailed off when he saw me, a quizzical look on his face.

"Thought maybe you would what? Oh! Good morning Chouko-san. Would you like some breakfast?" Mikoto asked me.

"Yes, please, Mikoto-sama," I smiled politely.

"Oh! You haven't met my son, yet, have you? This is Sasuke, the younger of my two children. I'm sure you will meet Itachi sometime today, he got back from his mission last night."

"Ah, yes. I met him last night."

"You did?" She asked me, frowning.

"Uhm, yes. He's nice. It's nice to meet you Sasuke-kun," I said, smiling at the young boy. He was very cute. Blushing, he mumbled a greeting in return, looking down at his food.

"Here's your food, Chouko-oh my! What happened to your arms?" Mikoto exclaimed. I looked down at my arms and realized I hadn't re-wrapped them the previous night.

"Ah, training accident," I mumbled, covering them quickly. Mikoto nodded solemnly. "You should be more careful, sweetie," she said. I nodded, and quickly ate my food after I pulled my sleeves down.

"Chouko-san, would you go with Sasuke to check on Itachi? I made him some lunch." I nodded and bowed in farewell, following the young Uchiha out the door.

He was quiet the whole way, looking in any direction but mine.

"Sasuke-kun?" I asked him quietly, with a small smile on my face. "Y-yes, Chouko-san?"

"Have you entered the academy yet?"

He beamed at me "No! But I will in a month! I'm really excited."

"Really? Are you good at any jutsus yet?" I asked him, happy that his excitement was winning over his shyness.

He shook his head, frowning. "I'm waiting for Itachi to show me some, but he's always busy…He's a jounin and he's in ANBU, so he doesn't have a lot of time."

"Oh, I see. Well, if he doesn't have any time, I'll show you one, alright?"

"Really?" He asked, looking up at me with excitement shining in his eyes. I laughed and said "Really!"

Itachi was sitting by a large lake, with kunai deeply embedded into the ground around him.

"Brother, will you teach me that new jutsu now?"

Itachi poked him in the forehead and said "I'm sorry, Sasuke, not today."

I stared at him a little. "Chouko-san. I'd like to apologize again for last night."

I laughed. "Don't worry about it; I would have done the same."

There was some sobbing nearby and Sasuke peered around a tree to see what the commotion was about. "There's Kairi crying again," he said. Kairi was an Uchiha, a girl who had been dumped by her boyfriend- a respected ninja in Konoha. She told everybody and anybody who listened about how he'd left her and how sad she was. It was a little pitiful, to say the least.

Sasuke sighed. "I wish she'd stop being sad all the time. Chouko-san, what would make a girl stop crying?"

"Hmmm," I hesitated. "Probably a kiss."

Sasuke gagged, and Itachi and I chuckled.

Days passed by similarly. I worried about my uncle Aito. I wondered if he was alright, and when he was coming back. My mother, his sister, died during the Kyuubi attack many years ago, and my father disappeared. He was the only family I had.

Itachi and I grew a little closer to each other, especially after we were sent on a mission together. It was a long mission, and we had to leave Konoha to complete it.


	2. Bad News

**Disclaimers**: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. OC's and non-canon plot belong to me, Xanette.

**Warnings**: Slight gore, violence, and language.

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**Crimson Butterfly**

**Chapter 2**

"What exactly were we supposed to do again?" I asked Itachi. He gave me a confused look.

"We're supposed to find and capture a rogue ninja, and bring him back to Konoha for interrogation," he replied.

"Oh," I said. "Right."

I sighed and looked out the window, pressing my cold palm against my forehead. "Headache again?" Itachi asked. I nodded.

We were staying at a small inn for the night and would continue our search for the criminal tomorrow. We didn't have enough money for separate rooms, but I didn't mind sharing a room with him. It wasn't like he was going to do anything.

"You should go to the hospital when we come back and have yourself examined. It could be something serious."

I nodded again. "Maybe I will."

"I'm going to sleep, you should-" Itachi was cut off by an explosion in the forest nearby, outside of the small village we were in. I looked at him and he nodded at me, picking up his equipment quickly and passing me mine. We were out the door soon afterwards, heading into the forest.

There was another explosion, this one closer than the previous one. I finally saw what they were doing. There were homes on fire, and civilians ran screaming, terrified of the ninja throwing explosive tags and using fire jutsu on the buildings below him. He was on the tallest building in the area, laughing like a maniac.

"Itachi, get these people out of here and see if you can put out these fires. I'll distract him."

Itachi nodded and went off; I ran quickly to the madman on the building. He saw me coming, unfortunately.

"What's this? Does this little girl want to play?" He laughed again and hopped from building to building away from me, leading me into the forest. I followed him warily, wondering if it was a trap. Trap or no trap, I still had to capture him.

A fire jutsu shot out towards me from my left and I dodged at the last moment and darted towards the man, with a kunai sheathed. The battle began.

He was stronger than I'd assumed. He easily dodged all of my attacks- he even managed to get a few hits in. I didn't see the kunai he'd thrown at me with the explosive tag, though.

I got caught in the blast, and I screamed in pain as my lower back burned in flames. I couldn't avoid it fast enough. He laughed loudly from up in the trees. "Had enough little girl?"

I tore the jacket I'd been wearing off, which was scorched from the flames, and began making seals for a water technique. I blew out through my fingers, water streaming towards the man. It was a replacement.

I glared up at him, and began making seals for my incomplete jutsu. "Crystal Wings!" I yelled, holding my arms out. My chakra dug into my arms painfully and my back sprouted purple crystal wings. I flew up to the man and aggressively attacked him with my katana. He managed to knock it out of my hand and I sliced at him with my arm, which had sharp crystals coming out of them. It made a large gash in his chest, and he roared angrily at me, clutching it. The blood seeped through his hands.

I kept attacking him with crystals that protruded out of my body. I pulled them out, throwing them as weapons. He yelled and screamed in agony, and I began to think I was going to defeat him. He had multiple injuries, a few of which I was pretty sure were fatal.

He fell to the ground. "It's over," I said. He laughed again and a log was left in his place. I gasped. "Replacement jutsu again?" I cursed and looked around, and flew upwards to search from the sky. I saw Itachi.

"Itachi-kun?" I saw the man about to attack him.

"Itachi!" I yelled, and swooped down towards him, wrapping my arms around his body and shielding us both with my wings from the explosion I knew he'd cause. I heard a crack and then a shattering noise. Suddenly everything went black.

When I woke up, I was in the Konoha hospital. I sat up slowly, with a strong headache again and fresh blood seeping through my bandaged arms. A nurse came into the room as I began to inspect my wounds, and she rushed to my side.

"You shouldn't be up yet," she told me. I groaned and held my head in agony.

"What happened?" I managed to croak. She looked at me in concern as she studied my arms and head, which was bandaged as well.

"Itachi-san had to carry you back from your mission. You were very beat up. You were very lucky to survive that explosion," she told me, and then her expression grew serious as she looked at me straight in the eye. "You shouldn't be using that jutsu much. Your body can't handle it." I nodded but was overcome with a fit of coughing. I covered my mouth and the nurse hustled away to get me some water.

When I pulled my hand away, it was stained in crimson liquid.

I stared at my hand. Blood? Why? I couldn't even process my thoughts clearly because of my huge headache. I quickly wiped the blood on the hospital dress I was wearing and covered it with the bed sheet before the nurse returned with the water.

"Thank you," I said, taking the glass and drinking the water slowly. "Where's Itachi? Is he okay?"

"He's fine, thanks to you."

"Good."

"He's come to visit you as much as possible. He was worried."

"Oh.."

I sensed the nurse was about to say more, she looked worried and uncomfortable, but before she could, the door opened to reveal said Uchiha. He smiled widely at me when he saw my face. I returned the smile.

"Chouko-san!" Sasuke's voice came from behind Itachi. I grinned. "Hey, Sasuke-kun."

"I'm glad you're awake! I was waiting for you to get better so you could show me that jutsu!"

"I'll teach you as soon as I'm out, okay?"

"Chouko-san…" Itachi's voice distracted me from the small boy. I turned to face him. He was looking out the hospital window. I saw how long his eyelashes were, and wondered why I'd failed to notice before. He was very handsome.

He said something quietly, and I strained to hear him through my pounding headache.

"I'm sorry you got hurt…because of me."

"Ah, Itachi-san, it's okay," I replied, blushing. He gazed at me intently, and I grew a little uncomfortable. Sasuke looked back and forth between us.

"I'll…go wait outside," he said, and shuffled out of the room with the nurse, who followed suit. I shifted uncomfortably under Itachi's persistent gaze.

"Chouko-san."

"Y-yes?" I stammered, trying not to look him in the eye.

Suddenly I felt something soft and warm take hold of my hand. I looked down at it, and it was his hands holding it. I blushed deeply. "Itachi-san?"

"I promise to make sure you will never get hurt because of me again. I don't want to see anymore pain."

I stared at him for a long moment. Then I nodded silently.

"Alright, Itachi-san." I knew what he was talking about. The war had taken so many lives. I understood his pain, if even a little bit. I'd been sheltered by my uncle throughout the war when I was a child, but that didn't stop me from witnessing at least some of the numerous deaths outside my home.

I pulled my hand away shyly. He looked a little surprised, but quickly recomposed himself. He smiled warmly at me.

"Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes, thank you."

"The nurse said you can leave tomorrow, if the bleeding stops a little."

"Thank you. Where's Sasuke?"

As if on cue, Sasuke's small head popped out from the slightly open door. "Can I come in now?"

"Of course, Sasuke-kun. Sorry about that."

We spent the rest of the day chatting, until Itachi was summoned by some ANBU officials. Sasuke stayed with me until I made him head back to the Uchiha compound since it was getting dark.

When I was alone, I thought about some things I'd never thought about before. First, my appearance. In the shinobi world, appearances meant nothing. My uncle told me that a few times. But right then, I wondered about my own. Was I considered beautiful?

I didn't know. I didn't think so. My hair was short and dark. My skin was tan, and it was covered in scars. My face had a long scar running from the top of my left eyebrow down to my chin. My body was small. But I was strong. At least, I thought I was…

Secondly, I thought about Itachi. He was so gentle. I saw the way he treated his little brother, I saw how kind he was. He seemed too out of place in the shinobi world. He was very strong and skilled. But he didn't seem to enjoy having to live in this world the way it was. I couldn't blame him.

Lastly, I gave more thought to the constant headaches I've been having. Surely it couldn't be just because of the jutsu? What about what the nurse was going to say? I could tell by the look in her eyes, what Itachi interrupted was bad news.

My thoughts were interrupted by an unknown nurse coming into my room. I gave her a hesitant smile in greeting, but it was quickly wiped off of my face by her words.

"I'm sorry, Chouko-san. Your uncle has passed away."


	3. The Kiss

**Disclaimers**: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. OC's and non-canon plot belong to me, Xanette.

**Warnings**: Slight gore, violence, and language.

**Author's Note**: Sorry this one is so short...The next one will be very long to make up for it, but I feel like this needed to be it's own chapter. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

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**Crimson Butterfly**

**Chapter 3**

I'm not exactly sure how much time I'd spent staring at my uncle's grave. I'm not exactly sure how he died either, since I stopped paying attention to what anybody said after they even mentioned him. Fugaku said I could stay with them, but I wasn't really worried about it at the moment. I just wanted..

I didn't know what I wanted.

…

I wasn't sure what to make of it, or of anything. I didn't know what to do, without him here. I didn't know how to live my life. The only family I ever had was taken from me. I still had so much to learn. He had so much to teach me. He was my friend.

"Chouko-san. You will get sick if you stay here this long," Itachi's voice broke through my pondering.

"I'm already sick, Itachi-san. Haven't you noticed?"

"…"

"Why did he have to die, Itachi-san? I mean, shinobi die every day. But…"

Itachi stayed quiet and came to stand next to me.

"I wish this damned rain would stop," I told him, looking away from my uncle's grave finally and turning my gaze onto him. He wasn't carrying an umbrella or anything. He was getting soaked like I was.

"You should eat something, Chouko-san. You've been out here for days."

I snorted, which was a bad idea because it made me have another coughing fit. I quickly wiped the blood from my hand on my pants and looked away from Itachi. I'd been feeling nothing but numbness since they told me of my uncle's death. The pang of guilt from hiding the blood from Itachi was very off-putting.

"Your uncle would want you to live the rest of your life happily, you know."

"How would you know?" I snapped, then immediately felt even guiltier. "I'm sorry, Itachi."

He was quiet for a while. Then he said, "I wish you'd stop crying."

I looked at him again and then up to the sky. I hadn't even noticed I was crying. I thought it was the rain. I sighed and looked back down to my uncle's grave again. I took out the katana he'd given me when I was younger and placed it on his grave. I felt some weight being lifted off my shoulders.

"Thank you, Itachi-san," I said, straightening up and turning to face him. His dark eyes looked back into mine. Droplets of water fell off his hair and made it stick to his face.

"You're still crying, Chouko."

I gave him a small smile, and then laughed as I recalled something.

"What's so funny?"

"I just remembered telling Sasuke how to make girls stop crying. Do you remember?"

He stared at me then nodded, slowly. I chuckled again at the ridiculous idea of Itachi kissing me.

"Let's go inside, Itachi-kun."

I turned and walked away slowly from my uncle's grave. I wasn't sure if I'd stopped crying yet, because the rain wouldn't stop.

"Chouko, wait."

I paused and turned to ask him what was wrong, but the question was cut off by Itachi's lips on mine.

They were so soft, and for a moment I had a warm feeling envelope my heart. It was cut short by the realization of what was going on.

I was too stunned to react for a moment, but once I regained my wits, I gently pushed him away. His eyes were torn, and he looked like he had so much to say. I didn't let him say anything.

"I'm sorry, Itachi-kun. I can't right now."

He was just trying to make me feel better. He didn't actually like me. Why would he? I was a mess. Emotionally and physically, I was broken. It was too much to handle.

"I'm glad you stopped crying," he said softly. I gave him a tentative smile.

Itachi left afterwards, back into his home. I was welcomed in it, because my uncle was a good friend of Fugaku. But I didn't go there.

In order to take my mind off things, I accepted as many missions as I could. Whether or not being able to avoid Itachi at the same time wasn't important.

…

Unfortunately, my condition progressively got worse. The Hokage noticed, and he prohibited me from going out on any missions until I recovered.

I found myself in the hospital again. I got more bad news after that.


	4. The Effects of Being a Butterfly

**Disclaimers**: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. OC's and non-canon plot belong to me, Xanette.

**Warnings**: Slight gore, violence, and language.

* * *

**Crimson Butterfly**

**Chapter 4**

"Your crystal jutsu has been internally damaging your body. And what's worse, we're pretty sure it will permanently affect you as a shinobi."

I stared at my hands, lightly stained in red from the coughing fit I'd had earlier. I was in a hospital bed again. I felt tears run down my face. I clenched my hands and asked what I wanted to ask, even though I knew full well what she meant.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Well, your crystals tore through some of your vital organs and were left unattended. They didn't heal naturally. We managed to fix some of the damage on your organs, but it's very difficult to do so. We cannot do much more than that. Also, the crystal pierced a part of your brain. Unfortunately, we know close to nothing about the brain and how to heal it. Proceeding to try to heal 'blindly' might result in loss of memory, lack of inhibitions, or ultimately loss of movement or ability to control chakra."

"Oh."

The nurse shifted uncomfortably and continued. "Frankly, we're surprised you've still been going around and doing missions in your condition. We believe your condition will worsen. Especially if you mold chakra."

I knew something was wrong. It _was_ my _body_. The headaches, the forgetfulness, the dizziness, the coughing…

I'd sensed something was wrong. I just chose to ignore it, hoping it would go away. I waved it aside as nothing. For it to be this serious…

I clenched my hands again.

"Would I not be in this condition if I'd come to you guys sooner?"

The nurse shifted again. "We can't say for sure, but if you would have continued to use your kekkei genkai at all, we believe it would have eventually had the same result, even if it was used less."

I was speechless. I didn't know what to say, or what to think. What would my uncle have done? Did our clan harbor this pain wordlessly in the war? Was it even worth mentioning when everybody died young anyway?

I screamed in frustration and clutched the white bed sheets. The nurse silently left the room. I sobbed quietly to myself in self-pity. I had so much left to live for, but it had to be as a ninja. What did I have left if I couldn't fight for my village, my beliefs, myself?

I sobbed and was taken by a fit of coughing again. Blood spilled out of my mouth, and I screamed again, grabbing a glass cup of water from the table next to me and throwing it against the wall. It shattered into pieces, just like my future.

Wasn't there anything I could do?

I sank into the pillows and sobbed quietly after that. I was too lost in my helplessness to take in anything around me for days.

Itachi came to visit me.

I tried to keep a conversation, but it was a herculean challenge each time. I was so upset with my inability to do anything of use, and I was confused with how I felt about Itachi. I worried over everything. They wouldn't let me leave the hospital for my own safety. They thought I would run off to train.

I probably would.

The Hokage came to visit me once, speaking of the Will of Fire and how sometimes making a difference doesn't mean you have to be on the battlefield. He left after he realized he wasn't making me feel better.

Itachi came and went in between missions, and my conversations with him didn't seem to be so forced. He seemed to genuinely like my company. Or perhaps he felt indebted to me for saving his life that one time. Probably the ladder.

Maybe he felt guilty for making that promise of him not being the cause of my pain, and here I was lying in a hospital bed. It technically wasn't his fault, but using my kekkei genkai during our mission together didn't particularly make things better.

I couldn't come up with the nerve to ask him directly, so I would mostly chat with him and pretend I was alright so he might be able to leave with a clear conscience.

He talked about Sasuke a lot. I could tell he really loved his little brother. Sasuke came by sometimes as well, but very rarely. I think it's because I wasn't such a pretty sight. I was covered in bandages, with sheets stained in blood because of my coughing fits.

I would try to mold chakra sometimes. But the result would always end in my crystal wounds reopening and pain seeping into almost every cell in my body. I would then get a headache that would last a few days. It was a vicious cycle. I became less enthusiastic with life as the time passed.

Itachi visiting was the only thing I looked forward to anymore. But he started kind of acting weird. Every time he would visit, he would chat with me a bit, then linger by the door as he was about to leave. He was always on the verge of saying something to me, but always deciding not to.

My curiosity got the best of me one day, so I decided to ask him what was wrong on one of his visits.

"Itachi…kun," I began tentatively, wondering if 'kun' was appropriate. He gave me a small smile, so I took that as a sign of acceptance. I continued. "Is something bothering you?"

His expression grew blank very suddenly. I knew something was definitely wrong.

He looked away from me and began peeling an apple he'd brought for me. Then he very calmly said, "no."

I didn't believe him.

"You know," I began again. "You can tell me if something is bothering you. It's not like I'm going to leave and go tell the world," I motioned to the hospital room to which I was confined in. He looked at me again and hesitated. I jokingly added "I'll probably be dead before I could even go out to tell anybody your secrets, you know."

He looked at me very seriously. "Don't say that, Chouko-san."

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Itachi-kun. I already told you I'm sick and it's basically terminal-"

"Chouko-san," he interrupted me. "Please don't say that."

"Why not?" I asked-a little confused as to what the big deal was.

Before he could reply, I sneezed, which turned into a coughing fit again, and resulted in me holding my hand to my mouth, which was covered in snot and blood. I grimaced.

Itachi put the apple down and quickly retrieved a tissue for me, for which I was extremely grateful. I accepted it and wiped the blood and snot away.

"Thank you. Sorry about that." He nodded.

"What were you going to say, Itachi-kun? Will you tell me what's bothering you? "

He was quiet then. He picked up the apple again and resumed peeling. I could tell he was deep in thought. Was he contemplating telling me what was on his mind? Or was he just going over what was bothering him in his head? The suspense was overbearing.

I opened my mouth to inquire about his feelings, but his soft voice beat me to it.

"Chouko…" He hesitated. He sighed.

"My family believes I killed my friend."

I stared at him a moment, wondering how to reply to that.

"Well," I cleared my throat-which led to my swallowing a few times because of the coughing fit that I knew might overtake me. "Did you..?"

He stopped peeling the apple and stared at it. I frowned deeply. Could the same Uchiha Itachi I'd come to know seriously kill his friend in cold blood?

"Itachi-kun," my voice quavered, barely over a whisper. He sighed again, and his gaze bore into mine.

"No, I didn't," he said. I let out a small breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding in relief.

"But I've done some things that are probably worse," he told me softly, before getting up and leaving without as much as a farewell. I shivered slightly in foreboding and worry, and frowned as I didn't neglect the fact that he ignored the question I asked him as to why it mattered if I was going to die or not.

Maybe I was getting a little ahead of myself.

I spoke to the nurse in the hospital and asked her if I could leave for one day the following morning. She said she would get back to me with the answer, and I wasn't disappointed when she pulled through for me.

She told me I had one day to leave the hospital to get some fresh air and 'visit friends' and do things of the like, but that they didn't trust me to leave any more than that. Smart of them.

I rented a small room in an inn. When I looked at myself in the mirror after a long and well-deserved shower, I barely recognized myself. I looked pale and unhealthily thin. My face held no color, and my eyes were hollow. I looked away quickly after that. No wonder Sasuke didn't come to see me anymore. I looked like a corpse.

My time of inactivity placed a strain on my body though, as I found it difficult to even walk around for more than about an hour without getting out of breath.

I sat around the inn for a long time, ordering food. I was so hungry. The hospital only provided the required amount of food for the body. I ate hastily, and then decided to take a stroll through the village.

I was deep in thought. I wore a coat because it was chilly out, and because I didn't want anybody to see how sickly I appeared. I clutched the handkerchief in my pocket that I'd brought along for my coughing fits.

I thought about my uncle. I didn't want to know how he died exactly, out of fear that my emotions would overcome me. Just like my sickness. I wanted to remain ignorant so that it wouldn't affect me. I wished I could do the same for my sickness.

I had a choice in that matter, even though it was a poor one.

Then I thought about my survivability. About my future.

Did I even have one? How long was I going to last?

The nurses didn't have an answer for me. If they did, they didn't tell me. But I felt my body slowly deteriorating with each passing day. My impending doom loomed over my head.

My dreams of becoming a strong kunoichi kept drifting farther and farther away. I wanted to be strong so I could protect the people I loved, and travel the world. After seeing new places and meeting new people, I thought about settling down, maybe with a family…

I hung my head and held back my tears. I would have preferred to die on a mission than slowly like this. My sickness shook all my dreams in my face, but out of reach. It was all a big joke. My life was pointless. I didn't even get to do anything worthwhile. I didn't do anything to prove myself. I did nothing worthy.

Before I could start imagining my life with Itachi, I shook my head and sat down on a bench. My lack of movement made me get colder faster, but I didn't care. I was going to die anyway. I took my handkerchief out of my pocket and coughed in it slightly, then quickly placed it back in my pocket.

"What's a pretty girl like yourself doing out here all alone?" I heard a voice from beside me. I looked up to see a face I didn't recognize.


	5. A Night to Remember

**Disclaimers**: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. OC's and non-canon plot belong to me, Xanette.

**Warnings**: Slight gore, violence, and language.

* * *

**Crimson Butterfly**

**Chapter 5**

It was a man who I didn't recognize. He looked a few years older than me, and I eyed him warily. His forehead protector was from Amegakure, and I wondered what he was doing here. He was a tall, lean shinobi. He had dark hair and piercing green eyes. He smirked at me as I was evaluating him.

"Are you about done staring?" He asked. I narrowed my eyes at him. He wore a knee-length cloak, and I'm sure he probably wasn't used to the cold here.

"Who are you?" I asked, having to clear my throat afterwards. I suppressed the urge to cough again. He laughed. I'm not sure if he was laughing at me, or at me not knowing who he was. I didn't care. I racked my brain for methods of defense that didn't require chakra. His laugh then didn't seem right. It was hollow, no emotion behind it. It was like he wasn't human enough.

He smiled then- and I gulped. Out of fear or embarrassment because he was so handsome.

"My name is Hideo, and I'm sure you know I am from Amegakure. Excuse me from not introducing myself earlier," he said, bowing. I stared at him, full of suspicion, but I made sure to not let it show on my face. I stood and bowed slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Hideo-san."

He laughed again, and I resisted the urge to shiver at how cold it sounded.

Then again, it might be my imagination. My brain _was_ failing me.

"Don't bother with the 'san', I think Hideo is just fine. What is your name, if I may inquire?"

"Chouko," I replied quickly.

"The pleasure is all mine, Chouko-chan. Now will you tell me why you're out here all by yourself?"

"I was taking a walk," I lied smoothly. His eyes twinkled. I wondered if he knew I was lying.

"It's dangerous for young girls to be alone at night," he told me, his voice filled with amusement. I rolled my eyes, and then smiled apologetically at him. That was a little rude on my part, but he was being an idiot.

"I can take care of myself. I _am_ a shinobi," I replied, trying not to sound…arrogant, I guess.

"Really? I thought you were just a simple civilian, since you weren't wearing your forehead protector."

"Yes, but since I'm not out on a mission or anything, I decided not to wear my forehead protector," I began backing away from him slowly. He was kind of creeping me out, and I couldn't fight him. Also, being alone _was_ dangerous.

"I'm sorry, I should be heading back to my home," I lied again. I was in an isolated area in the village, and I desperately wanted the shelter of the people-filled streets. I'd wanted to be alone to clear my mind, but I felt like I was treading on broken glass with this foreigner. He smiled, and it was warm. It didn't reach his eyes, but it settled my nerves a little.

"I'll walk you," he offered. He began walking towards me. It would be rude to refuse. I was dead anyway if he decided to do anything funny. I nodded. "Thank you," I managed to croak.

It surprised me that he was quiet the whole way, and he didn't try anything. He had a small smirk on his face and he kept asking me if I was okay every time I had a coughing fit. He was very polite.

What he said next, though, surprised me a bit.

"Chouko-chan, would you like to get something to eat before you return to your home?"

I stared at him wide-eyed, wondering if he was serious. I composed myself hastily and looked away from him, rubbing the back of my head nervously.

"I-I-" I stammered, embarrassed. "U-uhm, are you sure..?"

He grinned. "Of course. Let's get some food, my treat."

I hesitated and tried to come up with an excuse that didn't seem rude. He placed his hand on my shoulder, and I stiffened. I wasn't very used to physical contact.

"Come on, I don't bite."

He seemed to notice my reluctance, because he added "I'll also buy you some dessert afterwards, if you'd like."

I hesitated more, but couldn't come up with a good way to deny him, so I nodded and followed quietly behind him. He had a large grin on his face.

* * *

"So tell me, Chouko-chan. Are you sick?" Hideo asked me as he picked at his rice with his chop sticks. I stiffened again, a little uncomfortable with all his questions.

"Yes," I admitted begrudgingly. I came up with a quick lie, not comfortable with him making assumptions on just _how_ sick I was. "But it's the common cold, except I cough up blood because I damaged my throat on my last mission."

"Ah, I see. I'm sorry to hear that, I hope you get better."

I nodded solemnly, asking if I could have more of the drink I was having. It relaxed me.

They brought more to our table, and I chugged down the warm liquid in the small cup. I immediately ordered more. I briefly questioned what the drink actually was.

Hideo laughed. "You might want to slow down there."

"Why?" I slurred. He laughed some more. What was so damn funny? Condescending bastard.

"No reason," he murmured. I was so confused. Why did he sound far away?

"So, tell me, Chouko-chan. What clan do you belong to? Any special abilities?" He asked.

I snorted.

"You have no idea," I slurred. He smirked.

"Do tell," he said, pushing another cup of the warm elixir towards me. I gratefully chugged it down, along with the other two cups that were still on the table.

"Ugh," I grimaced, feeling a little dizzy. "What time is it?" I asked. It was so dark outside.

"Chouko-chan, your abilities?" Hideo asked again, ignoring me. Seriously, what a rude little dick. You can't just ignore a lady.

"What about them?" I replied coolly, although my words sounded wrong, and were barely coherent.

A dark figure outside the shop we were dining in caught my eye.

"Itachi-kun?" I asked, a little confused as to why he was there.

Hideo sounded annoyed. "What?"

I grinned. "Itachi-kun!" I waved at him, motioning to me.

The mentioned Uchiha approached me. He looked confused. "What are you doing here?" He asked me. I giggled and hiccupped. Something in the back of my mind told me that things were wrong, but I just couldn't…put my finger…on it.

Itachi looked really handsome.

"I'm eating, what does it look like?" I retorted, trying to sound sure of myself. My words slurred together again, so I failed. I think.

"Alone?" He replied, to which I frowned. What the Hell did he mean, 'alone'? Hideo was right-

Hideo was nowhere to be found. I was alone. My frown deepened.

"I swear-I was eating with this guy, and he was kind of being an ass," I hiccupped. Itachi approached me. But why was he walking like that? He was so uneven, it was making me dizzy.

"Chouko, are you drunk?" He asked. I snorted, which was a bad idea because I broke out into a fit of coughing again. Thankfully, my handkerchief was ready for me on the table.

"No? I was-" I cleared my throat, and then giggled at how funny and serious I sounded sometimes. "Uhm…what was I saying? Itachi, can you stop…moving? You're making me so dizzy.."

Itachi said nothing as he came up to me and lifted me up. The world tilted at an odd angle. Had I been falling? Did he catch me? Oh my God, Itachi was holding me. I grinned.

"What're you doin', Itachi? I can walk, y'know.."

He grunted quietly and continued walking. I don't' even-where were we going? Was this a date?

"It's so rude to leave a meal like that," I moaned, then broke out into a fit of coughing. My handkerchief nowhere to be found-I stained his shirt.

"I'm sorry…Your shirt's ruined," I whimpered. He looked down at me, with a weird look on his face.

"Don't worry about it."

"Itachi," I said, a little angrier than I wanted to. He looked down at me, surprised.

"Put me down."

"Chouko, let me take you back to the hospital, they can-"

"Put me down, _now_."

He gently lowered me, and I held on to his shoulder to balance myself. "Chouko?"

"Why do you always _do_ this?" I growled at him.

He looked confused by my question. "What do you mean?"

"I _mean_ why do you always look at me like you have something to say, but you don't?" I was hysterical then, practically in tears. Why was I so upset?

Then all the misery of my life came crashing down on me, like a ton of bricks. And I sobbed. Oh, God. Oh, God.

I was dying. I was dying, and I couldn't stop it.

I was on my knees then, and Itachi was holding my shoulders as I shook in hysteria and despair. Sobs racked my body. "Chouko? What's wrong? Are you hurting?"

I laughed then, with tears running down my face. With sobs racking my body.

And I told him everything.

I'd hinted to how bad my sickness was, to how it was getting worse, but I think he never took me seriously. He never realized just how bad it was. How I was dying.

He stared at me silently, with those gentle black eyes of his. They bore deep into my soul, and I wondered if he could see how much I hurt. His hands never strayed from my shoulders as I ranted on about how sad I was about my uncle, how I was afraid of dying, how I was afraid of dying alone, how I couldn't be strong. He didn't say anything.

"Itachi, and you know what? You know what? That's not even the worst part," I sobbed. His face was gentle. He was so _nice_. How could somebody be that…good?

"What's the worst part, Chouko?" He asked. Like he was talking to a child.

"I'm _dying_, Itachi. I'm _dying_, and I can't stop thinking of _you_."

He was very quiet then, and my head pounded in my ears. My headache was unbearable, I was cold. I was so sad.

"Chouko," he murmured, before leaning in. My eyes widened. I was still sobbing as his lips brushed mine.

Unfortunately, before it could go any further, I had another coughing fit. His pale face was immediately stained in crimson.

"Please," I begged in between my coughing, "don't," I said, placing my shaking hand on his chest and pushing him as gently as I could-away from me.

My body shook with coughs, sobs, cold. The coughing was so bad; I had to gasp for a breath of air after each cough. He let me go, holding my arm as I vomited blood to the side. There was so much of it.

Everything was crimson. I looked down at my arms, and they were bleeding as well. There was so much pain. Everything was red, and suddenly my vision began to fade.

"Itachi," I croaked, before being completely encompassed by the darkness.


	6. Losing a Grip on Reality

**Disclaimers**: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. OC's and non-canon plot belong to me, Xanette.

**Warnings**: Slight gore, violence, and language.

**Author's Note**: Not much Itachi in this one. Also a bit short, sorry. This chapter needed to take place in order for the rest of the story to unfold.

* * *

**Crimson Butterfly**

**Chapter 6**

I awoke in the room of the inn I'd rented the previous day. My headache was very unpleasant. I clutched my head and tried to recall the events of the previous night.

"What happened?" I mumbled, wincing at the words that came out of my raw throat.

I didn't remember anything. I had a really bad feeling that something important happened. But for the life of me I couldn't recall anything.

…

A wisp of memory came back to me. A flash of Itachi's face, stained in blood.

I couldn't remember everything else.

I decided to take a walk that day, unwilling to return to the hospital. I didn't want to be bed-ridden for the rest of my life. However long that happened to be.

It was chilly outside, so I went to grab my coat. I paused when I saw that it was coated in blood.

Furrowing my brows in confusion, I put on a different, smaller coat. I pondered all the possibilities of what might have happened the previous night. Maybe Itachi had fallen? Did I punch him?

"Chouko," I heard a voice behind me. It was the Hokage. I smiled, bowing slightly in greeting. "Good morning, Hokage-sama," I said.

"What did you do?" He asked, to which I straightened up from my bow to look up at him again. To ask him what he meant.

He wasn't there.

Did I just imagine him? I shook my head, which wasn't a good idea considering my headache.

"I'm going insane," I mumbled, coughing into my sleeve. Where was my handkerchief? I grunted in displeasure.

I decided to go visit the Uchiha Compound, to say hello to Itachi's parents. I hadn't really thanked them properly for letting me stay with them when I'd left.

It was a long walk, and I was quiet, racking my brain for any memories of the previous night. I fretted over all the negative possibilities that could have ensued.

I was at the Uchiha's doorstep. I raised my hand to knock, but the door opened. I looked down at little Sasuke. He was staring at me in surprise. "Chouko-chan? What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Sasuke-kun. Are your parents home?" I asked him, crouching down so I was at his eye level. He shook his head in response.

"They went to a meeting, and Itachi left for a mission last night," he told me, curiously eyeing me. He shifted uncomfortably.

"Chouko-chan…are you feeling better?" he asked me quietly. I could hear the worry in his voice. I laughed and smiled widely at him, trying to put him at ease.

"Don't worry about me, Sasuke-kun. I'll be better in no time, don't worry," I reassured him, patting his head. He grinned. "I hope so!" He exclaimed, but was immediately quiet again.

"Chouko-chan, can you…leave the hospital? It's kind of scary seeing you there. You always look sick. Are they making you sick?" He asked me. I paused at the thought. Was the _hospital_ making me sick? I found the thought hilarious, considering that I'd felt sick before I even went to the hospital.

"No, Sasuke-kun. They're not making me sick. And about leaving…" I hesitated. "To be honest, that's making me uncomfortable too; I'm going to see what I can do about not having to stay there, okay?"

He nodded enthusiastically, liking that idea. "Okay! I have to go. I need to train. My parents should be back soon, if you want to wait, you can," he replied hastily, and then scurried off. Sasuke was a really good kid. He'd grow up to be strong.

As soon as he was out of sight, I broke into a fit of coughing again, my head pounding in my ears. I sighed, wiping my mouth of blood with my sleeve. I needed to go see the Hokage.

* * *

"You understand that if you leave the hospital, you might die sooner."

I nodded solemnly. "I'll take that chance, Hokage-sama. I'm going to die regardless; I'd rather spend the remaining time I have somewhere other than in a hospital room," I said bitterly. He nodded sympathetically.

"Very well. You do not have to return to the hospital on the condition that you do not train or use your chakra anymore. I'm sure it will lengthen your life span," he replied, blowing smoke out of his mouth, and putting his pipe aside. I tried as hard as I could to not cough.

"Is there anything else you'd like to tell me, Chouko? Are there any other symptoms you haven't told us about?" He asked. I was kneeling in respect, my head hung low. I carefully composed my face into a blank mask. I shook my head, lying.

"No, Hokage-sama. It's just the headache and cough."

He grunted. "Okay, Chouko. You are dismissed."

I nodded, standing and heading to the door.

"Chouko," he called out, a little hesitantly. I paused. "Take care of youself," he said- his voice full of pity. I didn't say anything as I walked out the door.

Hands stuffed in my pockets, I roamed the village. The villagers were putting posters everywhere and getting ready for a festival that would take place soon. I paid them no mind as I hurried back to my room at the inn. Blood had begun to seem through my coat sleeves.

As soon as I arrived, I slammed the door behind me and hastily took off my coat. My arms were bleeding, blood spilling out of the wounds from my kekkei genkai. I looked through my bag of medical supplies in search of some bandages and gauze. When I found them, I ran to the bathroom to wash away the blood from my arms and hurriedly attended to them. Once I was finished with wrapping them, I looked up and saw my reflection in the mirror. I gasped in horror.

The scar that ran down the left side of my face looked fresh; it was a huge gash I'd received from an enemy ninja as a child, during the war. It looked as bad as it did then-even though it had been years since that event had taken place. The blood ran down my face, dripping off my chin and onto my shirt. I ran into the room to find more medical supplies, but slipped. My feet were bleeding as well. I screamed, not knowing what was going on. I held my face in pain, trying to stop the bleeding from the gash. I curled up in the fetal position and huddled on the floor, afraid.

I don't know how long I stayed like that, unmoving. But when I'd finally gathered the courage to open my eyes, there was no blood on my hand. I looked down at my feet. They weren't bleeding.

I'd imagined the whole thing.

I checked my arms-that was real, blood was seeping a little through my bandages. I spent the rest of the night crying.

I was losing my grip on reality.


	7. Monster I've Become

**Disclaimers**: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. OC's and non-canon plot belong to me, Xanette.

**Warnings**: Slight gore, violence, and language.

* * *

**Crimson Butterfly**

**Chapter 7**

I woke up the next morning still curled up on the floor. My cheeks were tender and humid from my crying. I gently hoisted myself off the floor. I had to think of the next step in my life.

I refused to live the rest of my days in self-pity. I didn't want to spend them scared. I decided to do something about my sickness-there _had_ to be a cure out there. The medical field was not limited to Konoha.

But then, I'd have to leave, right? I'm sure they wouldn't give me their permission to just _go_.

I would have to fake my death, perhaps. Or just run away.

Could I?

I don't know how long I sat there, debating the possibilities. I didn't reach a decision. I just kept going over them in my head, in a never ending loop. I got up after reaching the conclusion that I couldn't do anything with my current indecision. I needed to shower.

I took a long, warm shower, where I remained until I felt my very soul was cleansed. I got ready for the day afterwards. I pulled on a long, dark cloak and went outside.

It was sunny today, and I felt a little better. It wasn't that cold outside. It was crisp and fresh.

"Chouko-chan, fancy seeing you here," a deep voice said from behind me. I turned, looking at the stranger. I smiled in a tentative greeting. Did I know him?

"Hello," I said. Thankfully, he didn't notice my confusion as he dove into conversation.

"I was wondering when I'd see you again. You left pretty suddenly that night we went out to eat," he grinned cheekily, some of his dark hair falling in front of his green eyes.

That night? Was that the night I had no memory of?

"Ah, I'm sorry. I must have been in a hurry to get somewhere.."

"Don't lie, Chouko-chan," he smirked and I stiffened in worry. "You had too much to drink and ran off to be with your lover, it's completely understandable."

I relaxed a bit, he hadn't caught on that I didn't know what he was talking about.

Wait…my lover?

"But do you think he'd mind if we went out to eat once more? I'd love to finish that conversation we started."

"I think you misunderstand. I have…no affiliations with any men that aren't strictly platonic," I told him, unaware of the twinkle in his eye.

He laughed throatily and a shiver ran down my spine. Something felt odd about him.

He smiled then, and I returned it, doubts erased from my mind. I was losing it. Otherwise I wouldn't be so suspicious. I'm sure he was harmless.

He leaned in suddenly, his mouth next to my ear. "Maybe we can change that, hm?"

I froze in place, my cheeks turning pink from embarrassment. I didn't even know his name!

At that moment, with this stranger leaning very close to me, I saw Itachi at a distance. He was carrying Sasuke on his back, and he was looking my way. I thought I saw him frown, but before I could be sure, he'd turned and walked away, his face cold and composed.

Feeling guilty and overcome by many other emotions I couldn't pinpoint, I stepped away from the man. I hung my head in shame, feeling like I'd broken Itachi's trust, even though there was nothing going on between us.

"Hmm, maybe you aren't involved with another guy, Chouko-chan. But you certainly seem to have somebody in mind," the stranger told me coolly, stepping away and giving me space.

"S-sorry," I stuttered, unsure of what else to say. He laughed again, putting his hand on my shoulder. I tensed a little, not used to physical contact.

Then I felt a wave of déjà vu.

"Don't worry about it, Chouko-chan."

"Okay…sir," I tried, wondering if he'd correct me with his name. He gave me a strange look.

"I told you, I'd like it if you just called me Hideo."

"Oh…right, sorry. Habit," I muttered and gave him my best shy look, rubbing the back of my head. He grinned, believing me. Good. That was just a stroke of luck on my part.

"So will you take up my offer of going out to eat with me again?"

I paused, debating. On one hand, I'd like to find out more about that night. On the other hand, I felt very guilty about even considering accepting his offer if it meant more to him than it did to me. And Itachi…

It's not like he would seriously mind, right? We weren't…

"Sure," I said, after a moment. Why not?

* * *

Hideo was polite the whole time. He was very curious and asked a lot of questions-to the point where it was considered nosy, but I didn't mind. I kind of liked the attention, deep down. I never really got any from anybody else. Not even from my uncle. He didn't really care about my thoughts, but more about how I developed in training.

He asked me all kinds of questions, but seemed more interested in my shinobi abilities. I gave him as little information as possible and changed the subject-he gracefully took the hint.

He was very handsome, and he studied me with such intensity that I wasn't sure if I should be flattered or creeped out. I chose flattered because he was a handsome guy taking time out of his life just to have a chat with me. It was very sweet, and I grew a bit of an ego.

"Chouko-chan," Hideo paused in one of his questions. I looked up, smiling a bit. "Yes?"

"Will you be attending the festival this weekend? I'll have to leave soon, and I would like to go. Alas, I have nobody to accompany me," he remarked, flashing me a smirk. My hands trembled, and I firmly gripped my drink before he could notice.

"Ah, I wasn't really thinking about going…" Yes, I was.

"It would be fun. Would you go with me?" No.

"Sorry, Hideo. I haven't been feeling well…"

"Yes, you told me about your flu. Your cough hasn't been that bad today, though. Won't you reconsider?"

He was being a little pushy.

"Sorry, I can't go with you. But I might see you there if I change my mind, okay?" My tone left no room for argument. He inclined his head in acknowledgement of the rejection.

"Alright. I hope to see you there." He stood then, chugging down the rest of his drink and draping his cloak over his shoulders as he stood. I frowned, unsure if I'd offended him. It's not that I didn't want to go.

"I had a great time, Chouko-chan. I have to go now. I hope to see you around," he said a little stiffly, and bowed quickly before leaving. I felt a bit guilty for rejecting him, but I'd been thinking about going with…

I sighed, and cursed myself for forgetting to get information from him about the night I had no memory of. I quickly finished my food and headed for the Uchiha Compound with a strange resolve.

I'd made up my mind about who I wanted to go to the festival with.

I just hoped my resolve would last me the whole way.

The compound was quiet, since it was still pretty early and everybody was out running their daily errands. A few of them inclined their heads in greeting as I headed to Itachi's house.

I knocked on the door.

An annoyed looking Itachi opened the door, but he quickly hid it. Or maybe I was imagining things again…

"What is it, Chouko?" His voice was cold, but I didn't let it faze me. I'd come here to do one thing, and I was going to go through with it before I lost the courage.

"U-uhm, Itachi-kun," I stammered a bit, looking down shyly. Had I seriously lost my resolve already?

I had a coughing fit at that moment, and I quickly covered my mouth with my sleeve. Itachi reached out to me with his hand, but quickly retracted it, as if he'd realized I was some sort of poisonous creature.

"What?" He asked, his voice colder than ever. I was a little hurt. More than a little, in fact. But I refused to let it show.

"I was wondering if-" I paused to clear my throat in embarrassment. "If you'd like to go with me to the festival this weekend," I managed to force the sentence out of my mouth. I looked up at him, hopeful. He stared down at me, his face void of all emotion.

Then he turned away.

"I have to go on a mission tomorrow," he said matter-of-factly.

I was crestfallen. "Oh."

Would it be pathetic of me if I asked him when he'd return?

Something about the condescending look (well, I thought it appeared to be condescending) he gave me, told me that it probably would be.

He didn't look at me again as he said. "Is there anything else?"

I shook my head quickly, forcing a smile on my face. "Sorry, Itachi." I quickly walked away, trying to keep myself from further embarrassment. I heard the door close behind me as soon as I turned away. He'd practically closed the door on me.

I didn't see the look of regret in Itachi's eyes.

I walked where my feet carried me. I wasn't exactly sure where I was until I tripped. I fell on soft grass and didn't move. I don't know how long I laid there.

I felt like such an overdramatic idiot. Yes, I was dying. But my uncle had died as well, so why was I taking this so hard? Why did Itachi's rejection feel like an even lower blow? Why did it _matter_?

I felt like such an idiot. I was selfish and forced my emotions on him. He didn't need that. He was under enough stress already, carrying his father's will, and being a genius. I'm sure _love_, or whatever this was, was the last thing on his mind.

He was so great. He was strong, compassionate, kind-I was full of myself if I thought he'd settle for me. He deserved so much better. He was so kind. He deserved to be happy.

I'm sure he would definitely never find that happiness with me.

I lay on the grass, occasionally coughing. Going in and out of consciousness, I thought about my life until now. It was strange how I could barely recall anything of importance before I was told about my illness. What had I done with my life until now? I'd done nothing.

I would simply be a particle of dust in the earth after my death, unable to ever be a stone that changed the course of the river water. I was a particle. I wasn't even fit to be a pebble. I was so insignificant.

I should just…die now. Why prolong the inevitable?

…I was honest with myself then, and I realized I was a coward. I didn't have the nerve to take my own life. Especially over something as pitiful as being miserable. What was wrong with me? I used to believe I was strong-willed. I wasn't, apparently. This sickness made me selfish and weak-minded.

Perhaps that's how I was all along. Was I always like this?

_"You're weak," my uncle said._

I closed my eyes, letting the memory flow. It was when I was trying to learn taijutsu. My uncle was giving me lessons.

_I spit blood to the side as I weakly tried to stand. He was being too strict, I thought. I was his niece. Why couldn't he cut me some slack?_

_ "Can we take a break?" I asked him hesitantly, still trying to stand. I heard a whooshing noise. I was suddenly pinned to a tree, my uncle's fist in my stomach. I wheezed, the air knocked out of me. He pulled his fist back and I crumbled to the floor._

_ "You're pathetic. How dare you ask me for help when you don't even have the resolve to follow through with my training?" He looked down on me, scowling. I struggled to get up again. He wasn't always like this. He was angry because he thought I wasn't taking it seriously._

_ I craved for his acknowledgment. I didn't have anybody else whose opinion mattered. He was my only family. And he was my only…friend. _

_ My uncle sighed. "You're still so young, Chouko. You can change your mind about being a shinobi."_

_ I gaped at him, outraged. "No!" I shrieked, using all my strength to stand. I wobbled a bit but held my balance as I raised my hand in an offensive stance._

_ "Why not?"He asked, beginning to deal blows. "Why do you want to do this? You could spare yourself all the misery and bloodshed!"_

_ I ducked and almost fell as I skidded on the ground. I barely managed to dodge his fist. I backed up a few paces, my young face determined._

_ "Because," I began, a little unsure of how to word it. "I want to be strong like you, uncle. My mother died because she wasn't strong enough-I don't want that to happen. You told me you lost many friends because you weren't strong enough to help them. I want to be strong enough to protect those I care about and myself!"_

_ He sighed again, and straightened out of his offensive stance._

_ "Fine, Chouko." He walked over to me and placed his hand on my head. "It's getting late. Let's head home. We can train again tomorrow," he looked pointedly at me "if you're still up for it."_

_ I nodded furiously. _

I opened my eyes as the memory came to an end. Sure, that was me as a child. I was naïve and overconfident. I sat up, looking at the sky.

I could only describe myself now as pitiful and weak. Not only physically-that was inevitable. But mentally. The least I could do for myself was to stay strong. I was selfish, chasing after a boy who didn't return my feelings. Wallowing in my self-pity. Staying in bed some days, just because I was depressed. I wasn't even _trying_. It was as if the disease has beaten me already-it had beaten me as soon as I found out about it, like it was made into something physical and heavy. And thrown at my face.

What did I want? Happiness? Why couldn't I have the things I wanted now, simply because I couldn't physically follow through?

That didn't mean I couldn't try to do it anyway. That didn't stop me from continuing to strive to reach my goals. My body's limitations were but another obstacle to be overcome. That's how shinobi got strong, right?

I sighed deeply in indecision, and fell back on the grass. My younger self was an idiot, thinking she could do anything with just pure determination to guide her.

But she was sure of herself. She knew what she wanted, and she knew why.

Where was that girl?

What had I become?


	8. Unanswered Questions

**Disclaimers**: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. OC's and non-canon plot belong to me, Xanette.

**Warnings**: Slight gore, violence, and language.

**Author's Note: **Not much Itachi in this one. It's very circled around the protagonist. There's a surprise guest, though. Enjoy.

* * *

**Crimson Butterfly**

**Chapter 8**

I twirled the kunai in my hand experimentally. I was trying to train without using chakra. This mostly consisted of taijutsu and weapon practice. I shot the kunai forward, putting some weight into it. The kunai missed the bulls-eye by a little bit. Had I really gotten so rusty?

I sighed and sat down, exhausted. My head spun and my arms bled, but I didn't care. I was still thinking about what to do with the rest of my days. I laid down on the grass. It started to lightly rain and I shivered as the cold drops fell on my face. The clear liquid drops turned red. It was raining blood.

I gasped and repressed a scream as I sat up, clutching another kunai in my hand. The rain went back to normal. I was frozen, with a kunai sheathed in my hand as I looked around warily.

The hallucinations were as realistic as ever, but I was learning not to trust the weird things I would see. Unfortunately, that didn't help me when the hallucinations were "normal". I exhaled the breath I didn't notice I'd been holding. If I wasn't so mentally weak, I'd be able to do this and-

I stopped myself from going any further with that train of thought.

If I wanted to be strong, I'd come to the conclusion that I needed to have more faith in myself. I believed that to be my biggest flaw- my lack of faith in myself and others, and my indecision. I was always so unsure. It had to stop.

I spun the kunai in my hand, deep in thought. I hadn't talked to or seen Itachi since I asked him to go to the festival with me. My feelings for him were one thing, but what about his? Did he like me at all? He _did_ kiss me when my uncle died, but that didn't count, did it? I was a mess then- I'm sure he only did that out of pity.

Then there were his visits when I was at the hospital. I considered us friends. I'm sure he did as well, for he came to see me whenever he was able. But was my misconstrued idea of friendship only him feeling guilty?

I barely knew anything about him. Sure, I knew simple things like who his family was, what were his likes and dislikes, and other general things. But I didn't know him on a very intimate level. I knew nothing of his thoughts or dreams. I knew nothing of his fears or beliefs. Had it been unfair of me to ask him to go with me to the festival as more than friends only because I assumed his feelings were the same as mine?

I grunted, angry at myself for making such a stupid mistake. I threw the kunai forward. It hit the bulls-eye. I smiled thinly. At least I was getting the hang of things again.

I stood, dusting myself off. I decided to forget about Itachi. He was a friend, that's all. I wasn't sure if he even wanted me as a friend at all, so I wouldn't bother him. It was for the best.

It had been a week since I'd asked him to go to the festival with me. The festival would begin tomorrow, and would last a whole week. I'd decided I wouldn't go.

I needed to train.

* * *

I coughed violently, my body shaking from exhaustion. I fell to my side and looked at my arms. They were bleeding a lot. My back hurt from where my wings had sprouted out of it. My chakra control had gotten so bad I could barely perform my kekkei genkai. I know that they told me not to do it anymore, but I needed to know if I was still able to. It was a part of me.

It was dark out. I'd been training all day. Today had been the first day I'd tried to use chakra at all. It has gone well, at first. I'd decided to test my kekkei genkai.

Frankly, it went to Hell after that.

I weakly lifted myself up into a sitting position. I gently pulled out the remaining crystals from my body. Blood seeped slowly out of the fresh wounds.

In anger, I stabbed one of the crystals into the ground. Everything around it by almost a foot was crystallized. I stared. What had just happened?

I investigated the spot. It seemed my crystals could be used as more than explosives. The grass around the crystal had been turned completely into crystal- I'd realized this when a piece of it simply shattered between my fingers. It had also gone underground as well, not just on the surface around the crystal. I sat back in astonishment. I'd never realized it could do that. I always let a small amount of chakra into the crystals so they could be used as explosives. I never knew that without chakra, they could be used to literally crystallize other things.

To what extent could the crystallization go, I wondered?

I was too exhausted to dwell on it any further. I headed to my room at the small inn to get some much-needed sleep.

The walk there, and as I lay in bed, I began to question my origins.

* * *

I knew using my kekkei genkai was a bad idea, but I wanted to experiment with the crystals further. Apparently I could capture anything with my crystals and somehow crystallize it on a molecular level-so if I put enough pressure on it, it would shatter and disappear. I was astonished at this revelation. What else had my uncle failed to tell me about my kekkei genkai?

Had he withheld information from me, or was he as clueless as I was?

I decided not to dwell on that thought much. It's not like I would ever be able to find out anyway.

As for my origins, well…

_I eyed the Hokage suspiciously as he cleared his throat. _

_ "Why do you want to know about your parents so suddenly?" He asked me, his face devoid of emotion. _

_ "I want to have a better grasp of who I am. As well as my family's shinobi practices," I answered simply. He stared me down sternly. "You know you were advised not to perform any abilities that required chakra. Have you been training with your kekkei genkai?" He looked pointedly at my arms, which were bleeding through my bandages. I put them behind me._

_ "I have a right to know," was all I managed to say. He blew smoke out of his mouth after taking a drag from his pipe._

_ "Sorry, Chouko. I'm as in the dark as you are when it comes to your family."_

Of course, I'm sure he was lying. What was so wrong with my past that it had to be kept secret?

I stared at the shuriken in my hand as it seemed to melt into water. I clenched my hand. The pain of the sharp corners of it brought me back from my hallucination. I sighed in annoyance and chucked the shuriken as hard as I could into a nearby tree.

"Woah! Hey, watch it!"

I gasped and ran over to the small boy I'd unintentionally pinned to a tree by his shirt sleeve.

"I'm sorry! Are you okay?" I asked him in concern as I yanked the shuriken out of the bark. He rubbed his shoulder experimentally.

"I'm fine. Hey, can you show me how to do that?"

I blinked and looked down at the small child. He had blonde hair and marks on his face that resembled whiskers. He pouted at me and stared with large blue eyes.

"Show you how to do what?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"You know! How to use shuriken and stuff!" He pointed at me, grinning excitedly. I eyed him warily.

"I almost killed you. Why would you want to learn how to use such a dangerous weapon?" I asked the boy. He growled. "It's not dangerous! All ninja use it, and I have to learn how to so I can be the Hokage one day!" He exclaimed.

"Hokage?"

"Yeah! I'm going to be the Hokage so everyone will acknowledge me!"

"Right," I mused, kneeling and placing my hand on the boy's head. He reminded me a lot of Sasuke. "Wouldn't your parents be worried if I taught you how to use shuriken?"

He was quiet then, and I wondered if I'd said something to hurt his feelings. I was about to ask him what was wrong when he said "I don't have any parents."

I frowned. "What's your name?"

"Uzumaki Naruto. Remember it!" He smiled up at me, but he seemed very sad. My frown deepened. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki? The one that had killed my mother?

"Don't look at me like that," he told me quietly, glaring. I sighed and rubbed the back of my head. I shouldn't be angry at him. He never met any of his parents either. It wasn't his fault of what he held inside of him.

"Sorry, Naruto-kun."

I hesitated.

"I guess I'll help you train," I finally decided. He grinned widely at me, his eyes sparkling in excitement. "Really? You mean it?"

"Yeah, but it won't be very often, okay? Maybe a few times a week."

"Great! Thanks a lot!" He proceeded to hug me and run off.

I stared behind him. I had enough on my plate as it was. What had I gotten myself into?


	9. Bloodline Betrayal

**Disclaimers**: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. OC's and non-canon plot belong to me, Xanette.

**Warnings**: Slight gore, violence, and language.

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the delay, I was a little stuck as to where this story was going. I am glad to say I have a firm grasp of it's future now. Thanks a bunch to those who reviewed, I appreciate it!

* * *

**Crimson Butterfly**

**Chapter 9**

"Naruto-kun, you're holding your kunai wrong…and your stance is very weak," I sighed and walked over to my young pupil. "Here," I said, adjusting his stance with some gentle bumps.

"Like this?"

"Yeah. Try hitting the bulls-eye again."

Naruto threw the kunai into the circle, missing the center by less than the previous time. He growled and threw the rest of the kunai onto the ground in frustration. "Why can't I get the hang of this?"

I sighed again and put my hand on his head. "Don't worry, Naruto-kun. You're getting it. Practice makes perfect."

I'd been training with Naruto every day for almost a week even though I'd said I wouldn't spend so much time with him. The small child grew on me. He was a very sweet kid. He wasn't very talented, but he had limitless potential. I looked forward to see his progress. I regretted that I might not be able to see him when he was older. I was getting more cryptic with each passing day.

"How about we take a break? I'm not feeling that well," I told him as I sat down. He shifted back and forth on his feet uncomfortably. He'd witnessed several of my coughing episodes and worried about it to no end. I reassured him I was fine, that I was just a little sick, but I could tell he didn't really believe me. Children were very intuitive.

"Okay," he agreed after a moment, sitting next to me and staring at the ground. He looked down. I patted him on the back gently. "You'll get it, Naruto-kun." He nodded but didn't look at me. He seemed very deep in thought.

My arm itched a bit, so I scratched it. Unfortunately my skin came off in my nails when I did. I looked at my hand in horror as a chunk of flesh hung at my fingertips. Blood dripped from it, spilling red on to my pants.

I resisted the urge to gasp as I mentally told myself it was a hallucination. I pinched my arm. Reality came back into focus. I exhaled in relief. I kept feeling my mind slowly slipping away. My hallucinations weren't as common lately, but they put me on edge and I didn't trust what I saw anymore.

It took me a second to realize Naruto was talking to me.

"And Sasuke is so good, so I don't know what to do."

"What?" I asked, a little confused. He looked up at me, a little hurt that I wasn't listening.

"Sorry, Naruto-kun. I'm just not feeling well." I stood and dusted myself off, offering him my hand apologetically. He took it and hoisted himself off the floor. _I forgive you._ "We should call it a day. We can train more tomorrow if you'd like." He nodded- a dejected look on his face as he hugged me and ran off. Normally I would have been taken by surprise at the physical contact, but he did it so much I barely reacted.

I trained with him by a river that was near the Konoha entrance. I never used my chakra, I only helped him with taijutsu and weaponry. He was too young for anything else, in my opinion.

Every day after I trained him, I would use my kekkei genkai in an effort to find out more about it. For the past week, I would have to go home bleeding from every single one of my pores or almost dead from exhaustion. I'd gone home with little to no discoveries and a half-dead body. It was maddening.

But I'd made a great discovery the previous day.

I'd tried to mold my crystals into different shapes and succeeded in making some shuriken. I'd taken the liberty in making them into other deadly weapons. With practice, I knew I could probably turn my crystals into shuriken and swords effortlessly.

I'd also discovered that if I made a spherical crystal, it worked as a seeing-ball. I could see people from a long distance away, if I focused on them hard enough. It was a splendid find.

Prolonged use of my kekkei genkai didn't leave me unaffected, however. I felt my body deteriorating faster than before. I bled profusely every time I pushed it too far. I became thin and cadaverous. I lost any strength I gained physically, and I was at a constant battle with my body's limitations. I felt that I took a day off my life every time I used my kekkei genkai. I was so close to death's door, it made me scared.

But I refused to give up to my illness so easily. I wanted to learn all the secrets of my kekkei genkai before I died. I wanted to know more about my past and where I came from. I also wanted to live for Naruto, whom I'd grown fond of.

And deep down in my heart and in the back of my mind, I wanted to live for Itachi.

I knew that it was wishful thinking. I wasn't particularly sure why I was so attracted to him. Sure, he was handsome, but I liked him for more than that. He was gentle and kind. He deeply cared for his village and for his family-especially his little brother.

It warmed my heart when I used to see him smiling as he joked around with Sasuke or taught him something. He was very sweet, from what I could tell when I was in the hospital and before that. I knew nothing specific about him, like his hobbies or dreams, but I was sure he had good intentions.

In my opinion, though, I'd felt him growing a little distant ever since I left the hospital.

Maybe that's why he was cold to me when I asked him to go with me to the festival? Surely it's not my fault? Was there something I did to offend him?

I rubbed my temples in aggravation. A small headache had begun to form. I knew it would get worse. But I needed to train.

* * *

I carefully molded one of my larger crystals into a sphere again, except this time, I was trying to form spikes on it to use as a weapon. It was very tedious and I was exhausted and barely had any chakra left. I was concentrating so hard I barely noticed the presence behind me.

A large snake hissed behind me. Strangely enough, it was made out of crystals. It wasn't mine. I lost my concentration for a fleeting second. A slight falter in chakra was all my kekkei genkai needed to backfire on me. The ball exploded, sending crystals deep into my flesh in all directions. I cried out in pain and fell backwards as the snake slithered closer to me dangerously.

Fortunately for me, it hadn't been left unscathed by my accident. The spikes from the ball were deeply embedded into its skin and it seemed phased by it. I quickly acknowledged my decent luck as I tried to stand and get away.

My chakra and body exhaustion proved to be too much as I crumbled back to the ground. I couldn't even move without trembling. The snake hissed again, aggressively. It wrapped itself around me and if I wasn't so tired I would have reacted to the pain of my crystals digging themselves into my body from its own. I struggled against it, trying to escape. It tightened its grip and pain enveloped my body. I was bleeding heavily and now this thing was stopping me from breathing.

Something crept up my arms and I realized in horror that my crystals had begun to crystallize me. I croaked and coughed up blood as I thought that there was no way this was a hallucination-there was too much pain.

I was going to die.

I panicked and tried to calm myself down. I needed to think. I couldn't die here, especially not like this. What could I do?

_The crystals._

I could almost slap myself at my idiocy.

I summoned all the chakra I had left and struggled to let them reach the crystals in the snake. The snake opened its mouth, about to bite my head. This was a clever plan. If I had any means to escape.

I would rather die like this than the latter, though.

My chakra reached my crystals and I was blinded by the explosion. Searing pain enveloped my body. I was on fire. The snake shrieked and released me. I fell to the ground and thankfully it knocked me over with its tail. My clothes were scorched, my skin burned, but thankfully I wasn't on fire anymore. The grass around me was, though.

I had to get out of here.


	10. Removal

**Disclaimers**: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. OC's and non-canon plot belong to me, Xanette.

**Warnings**: Slight gore, violence, and language.

**Author's Note: **This one is kind of in Itachi's point of view, but it's in third person. It's pretty long, and Chouko is passed out the whole time. Thanks again to those who reviewed. Enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**Crimson Butterfly**

**Chapter 10**

Itachi was exhausted from his mission as he walked back to Konohagakure. It hadn't been particularly difficult, but it had taken a very long time. As he neared Konohagakure, he stopped. He smelled smoke. Fearful of his home village, he began to run towards it. The fire was very close to it, but it hadn't reached it yet.

The flicker of chakra of a fellow ANBU made him falter for a moment, but he quickly composed himself.

"Uchiha-san, welcome back," said the man with the mask, inclining his head slightly to Itachi. Itachi nodded in greeting. He was about to ask about the fire, but the ANBU filled him in.

"ANBU was called in after a civilian reported the fire. It spread quickly, but we managed to extinguish most of it for now. We suspect it could have been a distraction for an invasion."

Itachi tensed a little, albeit unnoticeably. The ANBU continued. "There are several ANBU around the village, protecting its borders. Forgive me for asking for your help right after a mission, but they're orders. We're to continue investigating the cause of the fire and look for any suspicious characters."

Itachi nodded again and pulled out his mask from his small backpack. He carefully placed it over his face. Technically, they weren't supposed to know each other's real identities, but it was inevitable since he was so young and shorter than many of them.

"Let's go," Itachi told the fellow ANBU. He nodded and began to quickly head over in the direction of the fire, Itachi following him.

The damage of the fire was extensive. The trees were destroyed, there were no signs of wildlife, and the very ground was pulsing with heat. If the fire had been left unattended, it would have undoubtedly reached Konoha. Itachi understood how suspicious this seemed. It hardly looked like an accident, and he agreed that it _did_ seem like an enemy attack, yet…

He had a feeling in his gut that told him otherwise. Something seemed wrong.

"Has anybody investigated the lands where the fire hadn't reached, away from Konoha? The enemy might have caused this and pulled back."

The ANBU shook his head. "Not yet, Uchiha-san."

Itachi nodded and headed in the opposite direction of his fellow ANBU. He jumped from tree branch to tree branch, careful not to make a sound as he scanned the ground and the area around him.

There were several animals that had black splotches on their fur; they'd probably had a run-in with the fire before fleeing. The plants and everything around him was so _still_. It put him on edge. He wondered whether he needed his sharingan, but he dismissed the idea. There weren't any presences he could sense.

His eye caught a color that didn't fit with the greenery around him-red.

It was a small trail, and he'd almost missed it.

He followed the trail cautiously, wary of traps. Then he heard raspy breaths. It sounded like a dying animal. He made his way over to the sound, so faint that he could barely hear it, but his adrenaline made his senses sharper. He pushed a bush aside, and his heart sank at what he saw.

It was Chouko, lying in a pool of blood.

He quickly made his way over to her, his sharingan scanning his surroundings to make sure it wasn't a genjutsu. He moved her hair out of her face and confirmed that it was her by the scar on her left eye. He gently turned her over, his hands trembling. As she lay face-up, he almost gasped at how badly damaged she was. Several wounds ran down her body, all bleeding profusely. They bled even more as she was turned over. Had she lay face down on purpose? In an effort to stop the bleeding? Her breaths came easier now, but they grew fainter.

Itachi let out a shaky breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he touched his trembling fingers to her neck, looking for her pulse, to make sure he wasn't imagining her breathing. It was barely there.

Quickly, he gingerly scooped her up in his arms, bridal-style. He ran as fast as he could to the hospital.

* * *

The nurse stared in horror at the young man carrying the bleeding young girl. She looked so pale; the nurse almost passed her off as a corpse. Another ninja whose love was taken away, but they refused to accept it.

Except the nurse had sprung to action when she heard the corpse _breathing_. She barked orders at the other nurses and ran towards an empty emergency room, the man following steadily behind her. She wondered how he was so _calm_. His face was expressionless. If he hadn't been carrying the girl so protectively, the nurse could have passed the case off as a ninja who had found a random dying girl.

"Lay her there," she said hurriedly, summoning chakra into her palms and running them on top of the girl's body, examining the extent of the damage. She blanched.

"We need any medic-nin who isn't doing something urgent to come here _now_!" She yelled, almost frantic as she pressed her hands over the worst of the wounds, trying desperately to heal it. Deep down, she knew it was in vain.

The other medics began to do the same, all placing her hands on the girl's torso as they began to heal her. The young man was pushed aside by the medics who scrambled in as they received the urgent message. Itachi numbly walked outside the door, leaning on the wall and sliding down it.

The nurses ran by him, with more experienced medical ninja following them as they went into the room. There were many gasps and groans of exhaustion as they struggled to heal the girl.

"Will she make it?" One of the nurses fretted.

Nobody answered her.

It was a very long five hours.

Everything seemed very quiet then, as a nurse stepped out of Chouko's room. She hesitated as she saw the young man still sitting there, a blank look on his face.

"Are you a relative of hers?" She asked quietly. The young man didn't respond, he simply shook his head mutely.

"Do you know any relatives we can contact?"

The young man stood silently, and turned his gaze on to the nurse. She shifted uncomfortably.

"She's been here before. It's Chouko."

The nurse gaped openly. The girl had been so _damaged_, she was barely recognizable. For it to be her… She gulped.

"W-well," she stammered, unable to form words. Another nurse stepped out of the room and placed her hand on the young nurse's shoulder, nodding at her when she turned. She nodded in return and hastily left.

The second nurse placed her eyes on Itachi.

"Uchiha-san," she began. "I'd hoped we wouldn't be seeing much of you or Chouko-san again."

Itachi stared. The older nurse sighed and motioned him to come in to the girl's room. He stepped in silently, and the nurse followed him. All of the medics in the room turned their heads at the entrance. The older nurse nodded at them and they filed out of the room, one by one. All silent.

The older nurse walked over to the girl, motioning the young Uchiha towards her. He took the steps, but he seemed to be in a daze.

"Uchiha-san," she began again. He didn't react. She placed her hand on his shoulder and shook him a little, to snap him out of it. "Uchiha-san," she said more firmly. He peeled his eyes off of the girl and looked at the nurse. He looked pale.

"We did all we could, but I doubt this girl will live to see the sun tomorrow," she said as gently as she could. He stared at her. She explained, hopeful that he would see her logic.

"This girl was advised not to use her chakra anymore, and she refused to heed our warnings," she sighed to herself and looked at the girl. "Furthermore, she used her kekkei genkai consistently, when it sucks chakra out of her. I'm not sure what happened, but she seemed to have gotten in a battle of some kind, for she was pierced and burned in many places, some wounds of which were lethal."

Itachi kept staring at her blankly, though the nurse saw a flicker of confusion when she mentioned her theory of Chouko partaking in a battle.

"We managed to heal all of her burns and any other superficial wounds, but her vital organs were already damaged and took even more damage when she was in that battle," she hesitated, but pushed on. "Not only that, but her chakra is completely depleted. We tried to give her a transplant, but her body is rejecting it. The only person able to treat her now would probably be Tsunade-sama, but she hasn't been seen for years…I'm sorry Uchiha-san."

"Chouko will die tonight," she finished and walked out of the room, leaving Itachi alone with the girl.

* * *

Itachi stared at Chouko. He'd been standing by her side for hours. It was dark outside, the only light source was a small lamp on a counter next to her bed and the moonlight shining in from the window.

She had a wire taped under her nose, probably so she could be able to breathe. She was wrapped in bandages from head to toe. They'd managed to clean her up a bit, so she wasn't caked with blood and grime. But now that he saw her skin without it, he almost wished he did. She was deathly pale. Her lips were tinted a corpse blue. Her hair was a mess; they didn't manage to clean it up. Maybe they hadn't bothered, considering…

Itachi couldn't take his eyes off of her. He was completely overcome with guilt. If he'd gotten there sooner, he could have helped her, he told himself. He could have done _something_.

He promised. He promised she wouldn't get hurt anymore. More specifically, because of _him_, but he didn't want to see her in pain, regardless of who was inflicting it.

Unless it was for her own good.

Itachi's eyes bore holes into her face. He faltered. She was going to die.

_I promised._

He clenched his fists as he came to a decision. He came closer to her, placing his hand on her chest, searching. When he found it, he grasped the invisible force and pulled it out of her. It wrapped around his arm and slithered into his heart. He winced, but continued. He pushed his chakra into her system with his other hand, to keep her alive as he did this. He would fix her. She would live.

But there is always a price to pay when one cheats death.


	11. Retrieving Life

**Disclaimers**: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. OC's and non-canon plot belong to me, Xanette.

**Warnings**: Slight gore, violence, and language.

* * *

**Crimson Butterfly **

**Chapter 11**

I was vaguely aware of a presence nearby when I came to, and I almost groaned as the waves of pain overtook me. My abdomen in particular felt horrible and bruised, and I was sure there was some internal damage-more so than before. I felt so peculiar, besides the unbearable pain. I was exhausted, and I could barely form thoughts as I struggled to get a feel of my surroundings.

My eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the light. Everything was hazy and blurred, and I blinked several times to clear my vision. I tried to move my arms, which I did successfully. I started to sit up, which wasn't a good idea.

"Chouko-chan?" a small voice asked. I winced as I continued to try to sit up. Small arms helped me stay in an upright position as I adjusted myself. The pain…actually wasn't that bad. It was still awful, but I'd had worse. I was just _exhausted_.

"What?" I mumbled, blinking again and looking down at the small figure. I saw a head with a dark mop of hair. It was trembling.

Sasuke looked up at me, tears streaming down his face. "Sasuke-kun?" I asked him hoarsely.

"I was so worried, Chouko-chan! They said you were going to die," he sobbed. I patted his back, careful not to make any sudden movements with my body. I was beyond disoriented.

'"'S okay, Sasuke," I murmured, gently patting his back. He looked up at me and nodded, furiously wiping his eyes with his sleeve. I closed my eyes, trying to recall what had happened. I was training, there was something there…

"Chouko-chan?" Sasuke asked quietly next to me. I opened my eyes and forced a smile on my face in my exhaustion.

"Sasuke-kun, can you tell me what happened?"

He nodded. "There was a fire outside the village and big brother found you there," he paused, a pained look coming across his features. "He said you were really hurt, but that you'd be okay. I overheard some of the nurses here saying that you were going to die and I was so scared when you didn't wake up."

I furrowed my brows. Fire?

It slowly came back to me, bit by bit. The training, the snake, the crystals. I looked down at my arms and poked at them gently, and I was relieved to find that they weren't crystallized. I clutched my head and sighed tiredly. How long had I been out for? Also, if Itachi was the one to find me…

My stomach clenched in anxiety. I looked over at the small boy next to me, his onyx eyes gleaming in tears. I offered him a smile, to which he beamed in return.

"Sorry to worry you, Sasuke-kun."

He shook his head. "It's okay."

Sasuke spent the rest of the day with me until I sent him home, to which he complied after plenty of reassurances to his doubtful looks.

I looked at my hands, which were wrapped completely in bandages and flexed them. I felt wrong. I could feel chakra running through me, but it didn't feel _right_. I barely had any, and it seemed out of place in my body. Had they given me a chakra transplant? That was the most obvious conclusion I'd come up with, but when I asked the nurse sometime during the day, she just gave me an odd look and shook her head.

Had I been poisoned by the snake? I shook my head. That wasn't right, either. I was strangely calm. My body felt fine physically, all things considered, which was strange. I hadn't felt _fine_ in a while.

I sighed and looked out the window. The sun was setting behind the Hokage monument and I realized wistfully that the festival I'd wanted to attend had probably ended. I'd been here for a few days apparently.

"Chouko," a deep voice said quietly from beside me and I started, tensing at how I hadn't noticed him arrive.

I turned and looked into Itachi's eyes. And looked away immediately. I'd realized earlier today I had grown to care for him more than I wanted to, and it scared me. I'd ceaselessly fed the fantasy of me and him being together. He'd rejected me when I asked him to go to the festival, even though it was completely understandable for him to deny me to serve his duty as a shinobi first. I'd blown it completely out of proportion and was terrified at how I would act to rejection a second time. I'd decided it was better to simply let it be, although my feelings didn't falter. I wasn't a fool though. I would keep it to myself. I knew that I wouldn't be able to handle the pain of a one-sided relationship.

It was better to be friends.

Itachi didn't say anything as he walked over to the window near the foot of my bed. He was so quiet and it unnerved me. He would visit me in the hospital before, but he would at least offer some words to me.

With a lump in my throat, I didn't say anything either. I just stared at my hands.

"How are you feeling?"

I tensed a bit, not sure why I was so nervous around him. I swallowed, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm pretty tired, but other than that I'm fine."

Fine as I'll ever be, anyway. I would die regardless.

He opened his mouth to say something but an older medic-nin came in and smiled warmly at me. I stared at her, unsure of why she was smiling at me like that.

"Hello, Chouko-chan. Your tests came in just now. Your body, it…" she hesitated, and then nodded to herself, as if in encouragement. "It has almost completely healed, and not just from the recent predicament, but in every other aspect too. It's completely stable. Your internal organs were damaged before, but now they just seem- I'm not sure- bruised?"

I wasn't sure where she was going with her explanation.

"You will be fine," her smile returned then. I stared at her for a moment before snorting and laughter shook my body.

"That's a very horrible joke," I smiled at her without feeling. She returned the smile hesitantly. "It's not a joke, Chouko-san. You're going to be fine."

I eyed her in disbelief. She came closer to me and put her hand on my shoulder and I stiffened at the contact.

"You will live."

I didn't move as shock overtook me. What had I been doing the last few months? Had I worried over nothing? Was this some kind of sick joke in an effort to keep me happy? What was _wrong_ with her?

The silence stretched out as I glared at the woman, unable to believe her. I had suffered physically for a long time, how dare she do this to me?

"I see you need some time to think, Chouko-san."

I could slap her in my anger.

"I will return later."

She quietly left the room, and I glared at the door that closed behind her. I don't know why I was so _angry_. I mean, I should be happy, right? I'm going to live, right?

I just…couldn't believe something like that would just _disappear_.

"Chouko," Itachi's voice startled me out of my thoughts. I had completely forgotten he was there.

I looked over at him questioningly and he looked me straight in the eye. I almost shivered. I felt naked under his gaze.

As if he read my mind, he quietly said "Miracles do happen, sometimes."

I stared at him as he turned away from me to look out the window again, his face an emotionless mask. I wondered if he truly believed that.

* * *

I spent the next couple of weeks 'recovering'. They said nothing was wrong with me, but that I needed to rest because my chakra hadn't completely replenished yet. That meant that I couldn't leave the hospital until I was able to walk for five minutes straight without collapsing in exhaustion.

It was very difficult, not being able to do much for myself. I quickly came up with a mantra to keep myself sane. _This won't last forever. This won't last forever._

Itachi lingered near me every day. While it was unnerving for him to spend all this time with me, I was undeniably happy at his attentiveness. He shadowed me whenever I left the hospital, which was never for long. His unknown intentions puzzled me to no end, but I had a feeling it was guilt.

He wasn't around me all the time because he wanted to be, that was just silly. He only lingered to make sure I was safe and didn't hurt myself. I asked him once why he stuck around since I was so boring. It was a harmless, teasing inquiry. He looked me straight in the eye for a long moment, but he didn't say anything.

It was disheartening that he never really seemed to enjoy being in my presence. I felt him and any type of friendship and bond we'd previously had slip away with each passing day. He was becoming more guarded and quiet, giving me one-word replies to any questions or comments I had.

Frankly, it made for some pretty dull company and miserable days.

I kept trying to make him _talk_ to me. It wasn't so difficult, he'd done it before. I had a feeling that whatever was causing him to close up like that was more serious than he was letting on, but he didn't say anything.

And sometimes, he wasn't very polite either.

"Go back inside, Chouko," Itachi told me stiffly, his cold eyes leaving no room for argument. I crossed my arms and glared.

"Itachi, I want to go outside. I'm allowed to."

"They said you needed to rest."

"I've been resting for weeks!" I scoffed, although I was touched at how much he cared about my well-being, whatever his reasons were.

"And you still can't make it out the hospital doors without getting out of breath," he replied coolly. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"What does it matter to you?" I told him, careful not to grind my teeth. I didn't like it when people forced me to do something contrary to what I wanted. It was spoiled of me, but I never liked to be held down. It wasn't any of his business anyway.

"You're being immature," he said. "You need to rest," he made to grab my arm, but I dodged, albeit clumsily.

Part of me was excited that he was talking at all, but another part of me was furious he thought he could control me like this. The fury won over. Maybe because I hadn't felt it in so long.

"Itachi," I gritted my teeth, carefully restraining my anger. "What does it _matter to you?_"

He stared me down, but I held my ground, unwilling to falter under this form of intimidation. If there was a reasonable explanation to why he was being so careful about my health, he needed to tell me. 'It's for your own good' didn't cut it.

"Chouko," he began, but hesitated. For a fleeting moment, I saw something flicker in his eyes that I didn't recognize. Panic? But it was gone before I could even register that it was there. His careful mask was back before it was allowed to slip.

I scowled. "What?"

He was quiet then, which didn't surprise me. He wasn't very used to me contradicting him. I'd never really had a reason to.

"I made a promise."

He said it so softly, I wasn't even sure he'd said it until I noticed he was looking away. I shifted on my feet.

"Itachi, I don't hold you responsible for.." I trailed off uncertainly. I wondered if that was what actually bothered him?

"You don't owe me anything. You've done enough," I said, cursing myself as soon as the words escaped my mouth. You _wanted_ him around, stupid. Why are you pushing him away? _It's not fair to him_, my head contradicted. _He shouldn't be here just because of _guilt. I battled with myself internally.

"Chouko," he began. I mused on how he always addressed me first before saying something.

"You're my," he paused, seeming to struggle to find the right word. My jaw clenched in anticipation. I was his _what_?

"…friend. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you again."

My heart sank.

Of course that was it. I'd been foolish to hope otherwise. Rejection and happiness washed over me. I was happy he cared, and that he'd even admitted to it. But it was just friendship.

Just friendship.

I wondered if I'd ever be satisfied with just that, and berated myself. I thought I'd decided to stop with the wishful thinking. Uchiha Itachi was so unequivocally out of my reach as anything other than a friend.

And truthfully, we were both still so young.

I sighed and nodded, heading back inside the hospital without looking at him. He quietly followed behind me, making sure I went to sleep before he left.


	12. Bonding With a Fox

**Disclaimers**: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. OC's and non-canon plot belong to me, Xanette.

**Warnings**: Slight gore, violence, and language.

**Author's** **Note**: Sorry this one took a while! I'm debating possibilities on the future of the story. I still haven't made my mind up yet, but it doesn't particularly matter because it's going to take a while to get there. On an irrelevant note, today is my birthday! I'm getting old.

* * *

**Crimson Butterfly**

**Chapter 12**

I played with Naruto's hair as he slept, his head cradled in his arms, which were resting on my bed. He'd come to visit me almost as much as Sasuke had when he found out I was in the hospital. He'd yelled at me, saying he was angry that I wasn't training with him anymore, but I knew it was deeper than that when I saw the fear in his eyes. He was so afraid of being alone. He was worried I'd abandoned him.

He'd fallen asleep after yelling at me and crying his little heart out, relief overcoming his anger. I let him sleep.

Itachi was nowhere to be seen, and I almost smiled giddily at the freedom I could have today. I always felt guilty trying to get my way under his watchful eye.

Naruto stirred next to me and sat up, rubbing his eyes tiredly and yawning. He blinked when he saw me smiling warmly at him.

"Are you okay, Naruto-kun?"

He crossed his arms stubbornly and pouted. "I'm still mad at you," he said.

My smile widened and I ruffled his hair. He swatted my hand away and I laughed.

"Please don't be angry. Would you forgive me if I bought you some ramen?"

His eyes almost sparkled in delight as he began to ramble on about ramen.

"I love Ichiraku's! Can we go there? You're treating, right? Miso ramen is my favorite- I can have more than one plate if you're going to pay!"

Smile still in place, I carefully stood from the bed, swaying just a bit, but enough for Naruto to notice. My smile faltered.

"Hey, nee-chan, are you allowed to leave?"

I hurriedly reassured him as I pulled on my jacket, which Itachi had brought from my room at the inn I no longer owned. Naruto hesitantly followed me out of the hospital and led the way to Ichiraku's once we were out. He babbled on excitedly about how he was going to become really strong once I got out of the hospital. He looked at me with hopeful eyes afterwards, asking if I would still help him train when I got out. I laughed and ruffled his hair again, and he pouted. He beamed at me when I said I would, though.

"Only something serious would stop me from being your teacher, Naruto-kun."

I looked around as he continued chattering excitedly as we walked. The village hadn't changed much. It was early and I wondered if it was appropriate to eat ramen at this time a day. Naruto didn't seem to care though.

I noticed Naruto quieted, and I looked down at him in question. But I felt the reason before I even asked. I looked around, and he was being given several nasty glares from the civilians, some of which were glaring at me too. I wrapped my arm around my student protectively. And I glared right back.

Once we turned into a quieter street, Naruto spoke up.

"Why do they all hate me?"

I looked down and frowned deeply. Naruto didn't deserve this kind of treatment. He was a sweet kid. Sure, he was loud and obnoxious and I've had to smack him a few times for being an idiot, but he was a good person.

I stopped and placed my hands on his shoulders, turning him so he could face me, but he didn't look me in the eye. I placed a hand on his cheek, wiping a sole tear away.

"Naruto-kun, there's a lot of people that hate and fear what they can't understand."

"But I'm easy to understand! I like ramen, I want to be the Hokage, I-"

I cut him off. "That's not what I meant, Naruto-kun." I sighed, debating on how much I could tell him. We weren't allowed to talk about it, it was forbidden.

"You know," I began. "Sometimes when somebody is really amazing, people fear them."

He stared at me with wide, cerulean eyes.

"If a person is strong, people will fear that the person will betray and hurt them," I continued.

"I would never do that!" Naruto protested but I hushed him.

"It's happened in the past, Naruto-kun. We are shinobi, and we are cursed to live in a world of lies and hatred," I said. It was rather cryptic on my part, and I questioned whether this was the right way to ease Naruto's worries.

"It's up to you to change how they will see you. And not by doing pranks," I gave him a knowing look.

"As for the hatred," I hesitated, but pursued. "Maybe when you're older, you will find a solution to that. Even I haven't found one, but then again, I'm not very old," I finished sheepishly.

His head bobbed up and down, as he thought of it. He didn't seem completely satisfied with my answer, and I'm sure he knew there were things I wasn't telling him.

"Why did you look at me like that too, when we first met?" he asked me in a small voice.

I grinned. "Like I'd be happy if some snot-nosed kid came and ruined my training!" I said, pulling him into a headlock. He whined and struggled against my grip as he laughed, and I was relieved that he'd let it go.

It wasn't Naruto's fault that my mother had died. It was Kyuubi's. Naruto wasn't Kyuubi. Simple as that.

After we arrived at Ichiraku, Naruto brightened considerably. He seemed to enjoy being in my company as much as he enjoyed eating ramen, and I looked at him fondly as he ate, even after I realized my wallet would be almost empty when I saw several empty bowls beside him.

Naruto didn't deserve the pain he was suffering through, and it pained my heart to see what he had to put up with on a daily basis. I was angry at myself that I hadn't seen the hurt in his eyes before.

But then again, I'd been too wrapped up in my own.

I thanked the old man for the meal and began to walk slowly back to the hospital, until I realized it was getting late.

"Naruto-kun, where do you live?" I asked him. He looked up at me, confused.

"Why?"

"I should walk you home since it will get dark soon." I hadn't realized that it was afternoon when we'd gone to Ichiraku. I thought it was morning.

He shook his head and whined in protest but I silenced him with a light smack on the head. I was in a good mood, but I was beyond exhaustion from the physical activity today. It was sheer will and a protectiveness I didn't know I possessed over Naruto that kept me walking.

I saw a familiar face a ways ahead and I grabbed Naruto's shirt and pulled him with me into an alley.

"Hey! What are you-" I cut him off, placing my hand over his mouth. He said something, but it was muffled.

I waited until Hideo walked past us and out of sight before releasing Naruto.

"Hey! What was that for?!" He demanded.

"Sorry, I just didn't feel like dealing with somebody."

"So you hid? What kind of teenager are you?" He questioned in shock. I laughed and proceeded to walk him home.

"This is it," he said, looking up at the tall building. I nodded, fatigue overtaking me. I pinched the bridge of my nose and fought the urge to yawn.

"Are you okay, nee-chan?"

I nodded. "Just a little tired. Will you be able to get to you apartment by yourself?"

He snorted. "It's just up the stairs!"

I nodded again. "Alright, Naruto-kun. I'll see you around, okay?"

I started walking away, but he grabbed at my shirt and I started, looking down at him as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I smiled and returned the embrace.

"Go on, Naruto-kun. It's getting dark," I told him and he peeled himself away, nodding. He waved and disappeared up the stairs.

I dragged my feet in exhaustion as I made my way back. It was a miracle I made it to the hospital.

"Chouko-san, welcome back. You should get some rest."

I nodded and willed my legs to move forward. Several minutes later, I was in my hospital room.

I resisted the urge to sigh when I saw Itachi in his ANBU uniform, staring out the open window.

"Where were you?" He asked tonelessly. I shrugged in response. His back was to me, so I'm sure he didn't see it, but I didn't care. I was too tired.

"Chouko," he said sternly, turning to look at me as I sat on the bed and peeled layers of clothes off my body. I blinked at him in response as I kicked off my shoes and tried to get comfortable on the bed.

A draft blew in and I shivered. Itachi coughed into his hand a few times and my brows furrowed in concern. I reached out my hand.

"Are you alright?"

"Don't worry about me." He stepped away from my hand.

"Okay." My hand fell on my lap.

He stared me down and I felt my cheeks heat up. I was flattered he was so careful with me, but with each passing day, I felt him slip away from me. He would always check on me and made sure I didn't do anything stupid-_ you're healed, why would putting yourself at risk be the first thing on your mind?_

I wasn't putting myself at risk, in my opinion. I just didn't want to be bed-ridden so long. I needed fresh air. I'd spent enough time here as it was. I wished he'd understand.

His constant lectures didn't stop me from caring about him, though. That's how I noticed that he was acting odd. Even Sasuke voiced his thoughts on Itachi's behavior.

_"He barely talks to anybody anymore, Chouko-chan. He goes off on his own sometimes and doesn't come back until late at night. I heard him arguing with father a few nights ago."_

I'd known Itachi for a long time now. He wasn't the same as when I'd met him. He was kind and talkative then. He went out of his way to do the right thing and make people happy. He cared deeply for his village and I'm sure he would have done anything for it-he'd said so on several occasions.

The Itachi now was cold and withdrawn. He barely talked to anyone anymore, and when he talked to Sasuke (in my presence), he would be very curt and brush off many of his younger brother's questions. Sometimes I wondered if he cared about the village as passionately as he used to. When he would come to my room, sometimes I would catch him glaring at the Hokage monument. My window had a clear view of it.

He would always make sure I was taking care of myself, though. And when he doubted I was, he would go out of his way to make sure I did. In the back of my mind, I wondered if I rebelled against him deliberately sometime so he would stay with me.

Pathetically, I realized that I probably did.

"Don't go out all day like that again," he said, turning to look out the window again.

I opened my mouth to protest. "No buts."

Frowning, I nodded. I didn't want to fight him. I was tired, too. I lay down, the bed squeaking under me. Itachi looked at me again, and his eyes seemed to soften. I wondered idly if it was just my imagination.

"Sleep well, Chouko," he said after a moment before disappearing, a cloud of smoke where he once stood. I was already sleeping.


	13. Reasons and Confrontations

**Disclaimers**: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. OC's and non-canon plot belong to me, Xanette.

**Warnings**: Slight gore, violence, and language.

**Author's Note**: This is my longest chapter so far. Reviews are appreciated, as it helps me know if there's something I need to work on. Enjoy!

* * *

**Crimson Butterfly**

**Chapter 13**

"That's great, Sasuke-kun. Come here, I want to show you a neat trick," I told him, motioning for him to come closer. Sasuke nodded and dispelled the clone jutsu. I was helping him perfect the technique, but I wanted to show him something else before night fell.

I pulled out some ninja wire and ran them through some shuriken. Sasuke watched carefully. I moved away from him and threw the shuriken towards a wooden post. The shuriken circled the post before trapping it with the wire. Sasuke gasped in wonder.

"That's so cool!" He exclaimed. I smiled. "And it's handy too, Sasuke-kun. If you know how to use it." The younger Uchiha nodded fiercely, taking out his shuriken and ninja wire to practice what I'd shown him.

I slumped down on the ground and watched him practice, occasionally giving him advice or hints on how to do it.

I'd taken the habit of 'training' Naruto and Sasuke. Not at once, of course. I had a feeling they wouldn't get along. They were like my little brothers and I cared for them deeply. Everytime they asked me to teach them a new technique, the thought of them being unable to protect themselves got to me. It was better if they knew how, I told myself. It was better if they could do something to keep themselves safe.

I hadn't tried anything with my kekkei genkai yet. I'd attempted simple chakra techniques, like walking on water and up trees, but they'd left me completely exhausted afterwards. My chakra supply still hadn't replenished since I was hospitalized. Another week had passed.

"Sasuke-kun, try widening your stance. If an enemy caught you from behind, they could knock you down," I called out to him. He glanced at me and nodded, doing as I told him. I nodded at him to continue.

Things with Itachi hadn't gotten any better. Sasuke stopped telling me about him completely. The young boy always had a haunted look in his eyes, and it made me wonder if something happened. I didn't dare bring it up with either of the Uchiha brothers, though.

Itachi barely spoke to me anymore.

I was too much of a coward to say anything about it. His glares were disheartening.

I looked up at the sky. The pink hues of the clouds made me stand. Sasuke paused. "What's wrong, Chouko-chan?"

"It's getting dark, Sasuke. We should head back."

He pouted. "But I still haven't completely learned how to use the wire yet."

"We can try again tomorrow, okay?"

Sasuke fell in step with me after recovering the scattered ninja tools. He didn't say anything to me as we neared the Uchiha compound.

We stopped outside the entrance and he looked up at me with a shy smile.

"Chouko-chan, I-"

"Sasuke."

Sasuke froze and looked over at the source of the voice. I repressed my sigh as I turned my gaze onto Itachi.

"Go inside. Father has been looking for you."

Sasuke looked over at me and I gave him a small smile, squeezing his shoulder in encouragement. _Tomorrow_.

He nodded, briefly glancing at Itachi before scurrying off.

Itachi's eyes softened as they followed his brother's retreating figure. The softness was gone when he turned his eyes on me. I looked away guiltily.

"You've been training him." It wasn't a question.

I nodded dumbly.

"Why?"

"He asked me to. And he says you don't have time…"

Itachi sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. I looked him over. He was wearing a dark shirt and pants, and his hair was let down. I'd never seen his hair down before.

He opened his eyes and his piercing gaze made me look away from him again.

"I'll walk you to the hospital."

"Itachi, you don't have to-"

His glare cut me off and I nodded meekly. Why was he doing this?

He walked ahead of me and it took me a second to realize it. I hurried to catch up.

The walk was quiet and I said nothing to alleviate the tension in the air. Did he feel it? A glance at his blank face answered the question for me. I sighed softly. I'd been sighing a lot lately, I mused.

"What?"

Startled at the sound of his voice, I stumbled. A tight grip caught my arm and straightened me. I looked down at his hand and hastily pulled away from him, flushing. He eyed me, curiously, but made no comment.

"Nothing," I told him, walking ahead of him so he wouldn't be able to see my red face.

* * *

Itachi stood quietly by my side like a marble statue as I fingered through the rack of clothing. It was difficult trying to ignore his presence. He loomed over me like a large shadow and I stole glances at him whenever I could. God, where was my self-control?

I'd convinced him into letting me go buy some clothes since a lot of my wardrobe was ruined-stained with blood or shredded into bits. He'd reluctantly agreed, after some pestering on my part.

Under the condition that he'd come with me, which I had no qualms about.

I pulled out a dark shirt from the rack and held it up to my torso, scrutinizing it. It was a little on the small side. I shrugged and placed it back. Something in the corner of the store caught my eye.

It was a royal purple kimono, hung elegantly on display. It had golden flowers with small glowing gems embedded into it for decoration. The flowers shimmered in the light at the bottom of the beautiful kimono, and at its sleeves. I marveled at its glory.

Itachi's soft steps alerted me to his nearing presence. I hadn't even noticed I'd walked over to the kimono.

"You can't afford it," he stated bluntly. I frowned at the six-digit price tag, nodding in dismay.

"I can dream," I replied wistfully, turning away from him and taking the small pile of clothes I'd picked out already to the register.

Itachi followed me out of the store after I paid, and I debated on what I wanted to do next. I didn't want to return to the hospital. It was terribly boring, and there were only so many things in my room to look at when Itachi was in there- my gaze always turned back to him. I couldn't take his glares.

"Let's go back," he said.

I shook my head and his eyes looked down at me sternly. I refused to be cowed. I'd rather defy him than have to stay in the hospital for a long period of time.

"I'm hungry."

"You can eat at the hospital."

"But it doesn't taste as good."

"Hn."

I clutched the bag in my hands, my face flushing. I hated it when he brushed me off. I don't know what his reasons were for sticking around to care for me, but he could at least acknowledge what I say.

"Itachi," I said softly, my face red.

He gave me a questioning look.

"…Please?"

His shoulders tensed a little and he stared at me for a long moment. With a sigh, he nodded.

I gave him a small smile. I may have gotten my way, but it had taken its toll on my dignity.

I ignored the waves of displeasure coming off of Itachi as we wandered the village, looking for a suitable place to eat. Well, I was looking anyway. He just trailed me silently.

A small restaurant caught my eye and I smiled, turning towards Itachi to point it out. My smile faltered when I saw a familiar figure coming towards us. Itachi's clenched jaw was the only give away of his discomfort. He'd probably sensed the approaching figure's presence from a ways away. He wasn't a Jounin for nothing.

"Chouko-chan! Fancy seeing you here, of all places," Hideo grinned wolfishly, walking towards us with slow, deliberate steps. He glanced at Itachi and I think I saw him grimace, but his face held no sign of it for a second that I pondered over my mental stability.

His stance was wary, though. So I probably wasn't crazy. Was he scared of Itachi?

"I don't know what you mean," I replied with a small smile. What did he mean 'here of all places'?

"We've eaten here before, remember?" He frowned a bit and turned his gaze on Itachi, whose jaw was still clenched.

"Of course, you _did_ have a lot to drink," he trailed off and I blanched, recalling that I'd met this man on a night I held no memory of.

Quickly sorting through my thoughts, I tried to change the subject as subtly as I could.

"Hideo, why are you still in Konoha? You're from Amegakure…" I smiled and asked in the most polite way I could. Itachi 's stillness next to me was frightening Not offering any comment on Hideo's idle chat…his blatant disregard was strange.

"Ah, something came up and my stay here had to be prolonged," Hideo said, his wolfish grin returning. I didn't miss the reluctance in his gestures. They were slow, as if any sudden movements might scare me away.

"Oh, I see."

Before Hideo could say anything else, a bird flew above us. I pursed my lips and looked at Itachi, who had a small scowl on his face. I did a double take; the scowl was so completely out of place on his usually blank features.

"Let's go back, Chouko," Itachi said, pointedly ignoring Hideo. I opened my mouth to protest when a hand clasped itself around my arm.

"Don't worry, Uchiha-san. I'll be glad to escort Chouko wherever she needs to go while you go attend to your duties."

I looked back and forth between them. Itachi's jaw clenched tighter and a rise in Hideo's shoulders that wasn't natural hinted at a mutual dislike. I wondered briefly how Hideo knew about the Jounin messenger birds, and filed the thought away for further speculation.

I was almost sure Itachi was going to allow Hideo to escort me, but to my surprise, he spoke to Hideo in an almost harsh tone.

"There is no need. I will take her where she needs to go."

"But you have things to do, don't you? Really, it's no problem at all."

"There is no need to trouble yourself with her."

I resisted the urge to scowl as they talked about me like I wasn't there. I didn't _need_ to be escorted.

"I'll go by myself," I spoke up. Hideo looked at me, as if realizing I was still there. Itachi's dark eyes smoldered in warning. _You know better_.

I pulled my arm away from Hideo's grasp and turned to give him a stiff bow, not giving Itachi a second glance as I walked away from both of them, bags of clothing in tow.

* * *

It was later that night when Itachi graced me with his presence again. I tried not to tense in surprise as he suddenly appeared at my window. It was unnerving how quiet he was, how I could never tell he was there unless he made an effort to actually make a sound.

His shoes thumped on the floor as he hopped off the windowsill. Had I left the window open?

His dark eyes glared down at me and I looked away from him, instead paying attention to the shuriken in my hand as I sharpened them.

I could feel his gaze boring into my skull as I tried my best to ignore him.

I heard him shift positions and snuck a glance at him. He was glaring out the window again, towards the Hokage monument. He did that a lot, it was hardly surprising. Uneasiness took over whenever he did, though.

He broke the silence first, with a soft sigh. It was disquieting to hear him sigh. I expected anger.

"Chouko," he began. I waited expectantly.

He sighed again and instead of continuing, he walked over to the chair beside my hospital bed and sat down.

"Have I ever failed you?" His voice wavered and I winced in disconcertment.

"I-I," I stammered, unable to find words to suit me, "Not that I can think of," I finished lamely.

"Then why must you-" he stopped himself, breathing deeply. "Why can't you just listen to me?"

"I don't know what you mean."

He stood then, his eyes darkening and his voice many octaves lower. I shrunk away from him in fear. "You know full well what I mean, Chouko. I go out of my way to make sure you are well and you deliberately do foolish things."

He towered over me and glared down at me, his dark eyes flashing dangerously. I swallowed back the lump in my throat and asked what I'd been itching to ask for a while.

"Why?"

He faltered then, but composed himself just as quickly.

"Why what?"

"Why do you go out of your way to make sure I'm okay?"

"That doesn't matter."

"Yes it does. I'd like to know your reasons."

"It's not your concern."

I snorted. He glared again and I pursed my lips.

"Tell me," I dared to urge.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

I sighed then and he walked over to the window to glare out of it again.

I studied his handsome features in discontent. I hated myself for letting him control me. But whenever I thought about going against his wishes, I felt guilty and ashamed. Even when I left him earlier today, I'd been plagued with guilt. And worry as to how my actions would make him react.

He'd never hurt me, and I don't know where the irrational fear of him came from. He was just frightening. Dark and dangerous and mystifying. Cold and stoic and beautiful.

What was wrong with me?

I took in his appearance in an effort to preoccupy myself. I hated that I overanalyzed everything.

He looked tired. Dressed in his ANBU uniform, I debated asking him if the Jounin had been called for a meeting or a mission. I dismissed the thought quickly. He was already in a foul mood.

The bags under his eyes looked more pronounced with the shadows from the small light the lamp gave my room. His hair was tied back, but it looked ruffled and disheveled. Guilt welled up in the pit of my stomach as I realized that I'd been too wrapped up in my own feelings to notice he was not well. Something was _wrong_.

"Itachi-kun."

He turned his head and eyed me warily. It had been a while since I used honorifics with him.

I beckoned him with my hand, placing the shuriken in my lap. He walked over to me, leaning down to investigate me. Did he think something was wrong with me?

I caught his face with my hands and stared deeply into his eyes-which had widened in surprise at my touch. He tried to pull away, but I didn't let him.

"Itachi-kun," I said again. "Are you okay?"

He stopped struggling against my grip and froze. A flurry of emotions flashed in his eyes and I frowned in concern. What had he been dealing with?

Carefully contorting his face into the emotionless mask he was used to, he placed his hands over mine and pried them away from his face. I let him, my cowardice unwilling to let me pry any further.

There was a pregnant silence. Itachi stood next to me, his eyes focused on something far away. The glazed look worried me even more.

"I'm fine," he said finally, softly.

I tried not to show the disbelief on my face but let the matter go.

"Itachi-kun. I know we might not be very close, but if you ever need to talk about anything, my ears are all yours, okay?" I mentally swore at my inability to communicate well.

The corners of his lips twitched and he gave me a small smile. I hadn't seen one of those in a while. I flushed and felt my heart flutter in my chest.

"Thank you."


	14. Pushing the Limit

**Disclaimers**: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. OC's and non-canon plot belong to me, Xanette.

**Warnings**: Slight gore, violence, and language.

**Author's Note**: Sorry this one took a while to get out. And sorry it's a bit short. I've been busy. Enjoy.

* * *

**Crimson Butterfly**

**Chapter 14**

The change was slow. It was so slow, I almost didn't notice. But there was change.

Itachi became was a bit nicer with me. Naruto and Sasuke improved with the training I offered.

And my chakra slowly returned.

I realized it when there was a scuffle somewhere in Konoha's streets. Some man was fleeing the scene, pushing everybody out of the way. Including me.

I'd reacted quickly-it came as a surprise to Itachi and myself. The bag full of groceries slipped out of my grasp-its contents tumbling out. I didn't think. I attached chakra strings to all of the items with one hand and neatly pulled them back inside of the bag.

My other hand attached strings onto the fleeing man's back and pulled him back towards us. I'm sure he wasn't expecting the force. He fell on his back, and a Jounin immediately caught him. He nodded at me in appreciation.

Itachi eyed me warily afterwards. I pretended not to notice as we made our way back to the hospital.

"Have you been training?" He asked me softly. I shook my head in response.

"That was the first time I used chakra ever since…"

Itachi was quiet and contemplative. I looked at my hand, wondering if my chakra reserves had come back. My chakra had been almost completely depleted- so much that they suggested I didn't use chakra again for several weeks. It was dangerous if it reached that low point again.

"How's Sasuke's training?"

I glanced at Itachi, a smile tugging at my lips. It was rare for him to initiate a conversation.

"He's doing very well. I'm only helping him with taijutsu and weaponry. He still has a lot to learn, but then again, so do I. I'm sure he'd learn a lot more from you," I said, gauging his reaction. Sasuke had complained to me that Itachi was being distant. And that in an effort to 'get him back', he'd asked him a few times to train him. Itachi always refused.

Itachi shook his head. "I have no time."

"But you have time to bodyguard me?"

His eyes narrowed and I looked away from him, feigning innocence.

After a while, I began to get tired. I said as much to Itachi, who motioned to a nearby bench.

Sitting with a large, grateful sigh, I rummaged through the bag for an apple. I bit into a large one I retrieved from it, the juices dancing on my taste buds.

Itachi coughed next to me.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded, but he looked a little pale.

I gave him a disbelieving look, but let it go. He wouldn't tell me anything even if I'd asked.

It was a lovely day. The sun seeped into my skin and the warmth encompassed my body. Clouds flew by lazily, fluffy and huge. There was a warm breeze in the air.

It felt so nice.

I looked over at Itachi. His face worried me, but it lost a lot of the tension it once had. He seemed to be more at peace now than he had been a few days prior. His hair fluttered in the breeze, brushing against his face. His thick lashes kissed his cheekbones.

He looked calm-the only reminder I had that he _wasn't_ were the bags under his eyes that seemed to get worse with each day.

I placed my hand over his slowly, as to not to frighten him. He looked at me in question. I flushed.

"Is this…okay?"

He didn't say anything. He glanced at our hands and then looked away, leaning back and closing his eyes with a soft sigh.

It was the most wonderful time I'd spent with him in a long while.

* * *

"Nee-chan!"

I paused and beamed at my yellow-haired pupil as he came running to me. I hid my bleeding hand behind me.

"Hello, Naruto-kun. Have you been practicing like I told you to?"

He nodded fiercely. "Why haven't you been able to train me?"

I kept the smile plastered firmly on my face. "Sorry, Naruto-kun. I need to train for myself, you know."

Naruto pouted.

"Your hair is getting longer," he pointed out. I blinked, my hand coming up to pull at a strand of my dark locks.

"So it is," I mused.

"Naruto, why are you out here in the first place?"

"I'm taking a shortcut to Ichiraku's."

"Okay. Well, be careful. I need to keep training."

Naruto nodded and I ruffled his hair before he scurried away.

I made sure he was long gone before examining my dripping hand. The wound had healed, strangely enough. But in its wake had left a strange, shimmering residue.

I'd been secretly practicing with my kekkei genkai again. Nothing too serious- Itachi would notice if I did anything too extreme. I always felt guilt well up at the pit of my stomach when I saw him. He adopted the habit of staring off into the distance. He was quieter, more reserved than usual. It left me concerned.

With a small smile, I realized that he must feel the same way when it came to my hospitalization.

Although these changes with Itachi appeared, there were positive changes as well. He was gentler with me. He handled me with care, like a frail doll-this bothered me, but it made me giddy when I thought of it as him showing his affection. He also seemed to go out of his way to put me at ease.

I still worried.

I returned to inspecting my hand-the residue had become solid, like a crystallized scab. It glittered beautifully, with specks of blue and purple. It was pulsing with chakra. I ran my fingers across it, and felt the vibrations under my skin. Just how far did it extend?

Cautiously, I let chakra flow slowly towards the exposed crystal. The reaction was almost immediate. The crystal began to grow, pulsing with energy. It traveled up my arm steadily. I seized the flow of chakra to my arm as quickly as I could.

I examined the result of the chakra feed. The crystal had reached my shoulder. It looked almost like a sleeve from a suit of armor.

I carefully molded the energy in the crystal, shaping the form of the sleeve. Running my fingers over it, I felt like I was shaping butter. The crystal obeyed my every touch. With a shaky breath, I smiled, examining my work. The sleeve looked more intimidating, with spikes at the shoulders and bulk around the wrist.

I laughed, impressed with my work. My knees gave out and I fell, but I was still laughing. A little chakra exhaustion wasn't anything to worry me right now. I could _mold my crystals_. My kekkei genkai was _cooperating_ with me. Words could not express the joy I felt at this achievement.

I laid on the grass for a few hours, my smile still in place. There had been no repercussions except for the lack of chakra.

When I recovered more of it, I would definitely push this training to the limit.

How far could the crystals go?


End file.
